Good Eats Tonight.

Yesterday, when Mr. H, and I were on our way to EZ-City, I was reading my local newspaper, The Coastland Crimes, uhh ... I mean Times. The Coastland Times.
I found a recipe in the newspaper from Meridian 42 Restaurant

for Shrimp and Cornmeal Custard Tart with Herb Salad and Old Bay Oil.

Click, Mama-, Sister-Hawthornes, to enlarge.
I read the recipe and it sounded pretty good to me.

I decided to cook it tonight.

Here are the ingredients for the pastry crust:
1 cup flour
3 ounces cream cheese
2 TB butter
1 TB sugar
1/4 tsp salt
3 TB milk

I processed it in my processor, being careful not to over-process.
Then I wrapped it in plastic wrap and refrigerated the dough.

An hour or so later, I rolled the dough out, and cut into rounds,
and filled my assorted ramekins.

Ain't deez purty?

Next up, the sauce:

1/4 red onion, sliced
2 garlic cloves, smashed
1 medium tomato, peeled, seeded, and chopped
salt
1 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 TB Old Bay
1 TB tomato paste

I smashed my garlic, sliced my red onion, and chopped my mater.

Heated one TB olive oil then added the onion, garlic, and tomato
and sauteed until tender - about 5 minutes.

Here's a bit of salt, 1 tsp. black pepper, and 1 TB Old Bay Seasoning, which I thought was going to be WAY much, but it was good.

Added the salt, pepper, and Old Bay to the mix.
Love the Old Bay Action.

Then added 1 TB tomato paste.

Cooked for about 3 minutes over low heat.

Then, I added 1/2 cup olive oil and cooked over low heat for 15 minutes.

Here's what it looks like after 15 minutes.

Then I cooled the mixture and pureed it in my processor.

I went out to the garden and cut some arugula, chives, basil, and parsley.

Chopped the herbs and poured some mixed greens into a bowl.

Prepared a dressing:
sherry
white wine
cider vinegar
olive oil
salt
pepper

Everything for the salad right here.

Whisking up the dressing.

I added the herbs to the mixed greens, along with slices of cucumber,
then poured in the dressing.

Now, for my custard preparation:

1/2 cup flour
3 TB yellow cornmeal
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 3/4 tsp baking powder
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk

Sift dry ingredients.

Pour in the whupped aigs.

Pour in the melk.
Whisk and set aside.

Now, I've peeled my shrimp.
Mr. H. deveined them because I was lazy and didn't want to.

Added the shrimpies to the tarties.

Then, I poured the custard in the ramekins on top of the shrimp.

Baked them for about 30 minutes, 375 degrees, convection oven.
Puffed up and bee-yoo-tee-full.

Salad with sherry, wine,vinegar.
Shrimp in a cornmeal custard with tomato/garlic/onion puree.

Mr. Hawthorne really liked this.
He said to take the shrimp tails off next time.
NEXT TIME!
He wants me to make it again.
He asked, before eating, about the ingredients.
I mentioned the 1 TB sugar that went into the crust.
He was expecting it to be super sweet.
Yeah, with one TB sugar.
But he found it delightfully not too sweet, just with a hint of sweetness,

He told me, "This is a very simple dish. You should put it in your repertoire."

Simple, my freakin' ass.
I started this at 3 PM this afternoon and finally ate at 7:30.
OK.
It was simple.
But, there's more to it than just throwing crap together.

Why doesn't he understand the effort involved?