Rose Hip Glazed Shrimp

This meal turned out to be incredibly easy, but looks impressive enough to be served for a stay-at-home date night.

Rose hips are a quintessential Alaskan ingredient. Wild roses can be found in nearly everybody’s back yard, always lovely but sometimes also a bushy, thorny nuisance. Their fruit, which is best harvested after the first frost of fall, is packed full of vitamin C and perfect for a deliciously tart jelly. Growing up, many of the older women I knew often made this traditional product. Here in Portland, the City of Roses, I saw a plethora of rose hips all last fall but never quite got up the gumption to go pick the two quarts I’d need for my mother’s recipe. Therefore, when I was contemplating how I could incorporate rose hips into a savory seafood dish, I found myself purchasing a jar of German rose hip fruit spread that I found in the international section at Fred Meyers.

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 For the Shrimp:

• 3/4 – 1 lb. of large 16/20 count shrimp
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 a cup of rose hip fruit spread
• 2.5 tablespoons aged balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon habanero hot sauce (I used Secret Aardvark Trading Co.)

For Beet Zucchini Quinoa Salad:

• 1 large golden beet
• 1 medium to large zucchini
• 1 cup prepared quinoa
  • 1 cup water
  • 1/2 cup of quinoa
  • 1 teaspoon chicken bullion
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• pepper to taste
• Chèvre for garnish

Peel desired amount of shrimp for two people. For this recipe I got about half a pound of 16/20 count shrimp which ended up being 4 larger shrimp each. It was so delicious though, that next time I will definitely get more. To be on the safe side I’d say a whole pound would be enough to for each person to have seconds. Make sure each shrimp is peeled and deveined and has been rinsed in cold water and then patted dry with paper towels. You always want your protein dry before you put it in a pan to sear.

To prepare the salad begin by using a sharp knife to cut the beet and the zucchini into matchstick sized pieces. In about a tablespoon of olive oil begin cooking the beets first as they will take longer to cook. Add a pinch of kosher salt and cook on high, stirring frequently for about 5 minutes or until the pieces begin to soften. Next add the zucchini, which will require another 3-5 minutes to cook before adding the prepared quinoa. Stir to combine, add pepper, and taste to make sure it is salty enough. When you go to plate the salad place a large dollop of chèvre on on top of each portion. Garnish if desired with minced green onions or chives for some color.

For the shrimp, preheat about a tablespoon of olive oil in a nonstick skillet before adding the washed and dried shrimp to the pan. In a separate bowl combine jelly, vinegar and hot sauce. Place the shrimp in the skillet and sprinkle with a large pinch of kosher salt. Cook for about 1.5 to 2 minutes on each side or until the shrimp turn pink and just finish turning opaque throughout. Right before the shrimp finish cooking add the sauce to the pan. It with bubble and begin to thicken almost immediately so remove the pan from the heat as soon as you add the glaze. Place shrimp on plate and drizzle with the remaining pan sauce.

Happy Cooking!