{"id":4746,"date":"2022-07-27T10:30:00","date_gmt":"2022-07-27T14:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thesaltedpotato.com\/?p=4746"},"modified":"2022-07-29T10:56:20","modified_gmt":"2022-07-29T14:56:20","slug":"tomato-and-chili-shrimp-with-the-ultimate-focaccia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thesaltedpotato.com\/tomato-and-chili-shrimp-with-the-ultimate-focaccia\/","title":{"rendered":"Tomato and Chili Shrimp with The Ultimate Focaccia"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Fluffy Focaccia and Juicy Shrimp Make for an Irresistible Meal!<\/h2>\n\n\n

This meal began with the focaccia. As anyone who bakes bread is aware, focaccia is one of the easiest of all breads to bake. I\u2019ve made it many times and have used many different recipes. I\u2019ve never made one I didn\u2019t like, although I do have my favorites. When Paul Hollywood\u2019s new cookbook Bake <\/em>arrived, I knew I\u2019d be making his version titled The Ultimate Focaccia. It\u2019s studded with sliced red onions, tomatoes and olives, and sprinkled with only oregano and flaky salt. Rather than the kalamata olives called for in the recipe, I used big soft oil-cured black olives. <\/p>\n\n\n

As I got to thinking about what I wanted to serve with it, I kept going back to shrimp in a soupy tomato sauce. I didn\u2019t want a marinara or anything of that nature. I wanted the sauce to be light, full flavored, and more fresh tasting than a tomato pasta-type sauce. I wanted it to be the right consistency for sopping up with the focaccia – more juicy than saucy.<\/p>\n\n\n

As I was peeling the shrimp, it occurred to me that I should use the shells to make a quick shrimp stock. It only took maybe 10 minutes and added tons of flavor to the finished dish. <\/p>\n\n\n

Naturally, I wanted it to complement the flavors of the focaccia, so I kept it simple. No need for exotic spicing with this. To keep it light, I chose to chop up a couple cartons of grape tomatoes and use those as the base. Along with onion and garlic, I added sweet Calabrian chili powder. It doesn\u2019t pack much heat. It\u2019s more about the sweetness of the red peppers from which it\u2019s derived. The reserved shrimp stock, a minced Fresno chili, some lemon juice and parsley rounded it out and finished it off perfectly.<\/p>\n\n\n

\"Fresh<\/figure>\n\n\n

Whenever I make shrimp, my major concern is overcooking. In order to prevent that, I waited until the sauce was done, added the shrimp to the pan, covered it and turned the heat to the lowest setting. I only left the skillet on the burner for 2 minutes. I then moved the skillet off the heat and let it sit for another 4 minutes and the shrimp were perfectly cooked. The exact length of time will depend on the size of your shrimp. Just keep checking and remove the lid as soon as they look like they\u2019re almost done. The residual heat will finish them off.<\/p>\n\n\n

Now, what did I think of Paul\u2019s focaccia? It\u2019s most definitely a good one. It rises well, is easy to work with and isn\u2019t fussy.<\/p>\n\n\n

\"Rising<\/figure>\n\n\n

He instructs you not to bake it until it\u2019s deeply colored, as I normally do, saying the inside should be soft and light. I was concerned I wouldn\u2019t get a good crisp bottom, but I was wrong. The bottom and sides are wonderfully crisp, the flavor is great, and the texture is really beautiful. It\u2019s soft, but chewy. Just like a good focaccia should be. And it couldn\u2019t have been more perfect for sopping up those tomatoey shrimp juices. I have provided a link to his recipe below. <\/p>\n\n\n

\"Ultimate<\/figure>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\"Tomato\t\t\t\t
\n\t \n\t \t\n\t \t \n\t \t \n\t \t \n\t \t \n\t \t \n\t \t \n\t \t <\/g>\n\t \t<\/SVG>\n\t Print\n\t <\/a>\n\t \t\t\t\t<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\n\t\t

Tomato and Chili Shrimp with The Ultimate Focaccia<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tRecipe by Ren\u00e9e Robinson\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t

Ingredients<\/h3>\n\t\t\t