Santa Barbara Shrimp with Mashed Potatoes and Potato Truffle Chips
Ingredients:
- Truffle Chips
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
- Salt and freshly ground white pepper
- 1 large Idaho potato, peeled
- 1/4 oz black truffle, thinly sliced and trimmed into 1/4 inch squares - substitute Italian parsley
- Fried Leeks
- 1 cup corn oil
- 1 large leek, green part only, rinsed thoroughly and cut into thin julienne strips
- Mashed Potatoes
- 3 cups milk
- 2 medium Idaho potatoes, peeled and quartered
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- Salt and freshly ground white pepper
- Shrimp
- 2 tablespoons clarified butter
- 12 very large Santa Barbara or other large shrimp (16/20 count) peeled and deveined
- Assembly
- 2/3 cup finished lobster nage, warm
Directions:
Truffle Chips
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, brush it with some of the butter, then sprinkle with a little salt and pepper.
- Using a mandoline, slice the potatoes crosswise into paper-thin slices (you must have at least 24 slices) and arrange 12 of the potato circles in a single layer on the paper.
- Brush the potatoes with butter and sprinkle with a little more salt and pepper. Place a truffle square on each potato circle, then cover with another potato circle to create 12 “truffle sandwiches.” Brush the tops with butter, cover with another sheet of parchment paper, and top with another baking sheet to weight them down.
- Bake for about 35 to 40 minutes, until evenly golden, checking to be sure the potatoes do not burn and turning the sheet around halfway through the cooking time to help the potatoes brown evenly.
- Set the chips aside on a baking sheet lined with paper towels until you are ready to assemble the dish.
Fried Leeks
- In a large, heavy saucepan, heat the corn oil to 350° degrees F.
- Pat the leek strips with paper towels until completely dry, then, using a skimmer, place them in the hot oil and cook for about 2 to 3 minutes, stirring once, until they are crisp.
- Drain on paper towels and mound them on the baking sheet alongside the truffle chips.
Mashed potatoes
- In a large saucepan, combine the milk and the potatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer the potatoes for about 20 to 25 minutes, until tender.
- Drain the potatoes and pass them through a food mill or mash them thoroughly with a hand blender or potato masher (do not use a food processor). Place the potatoes in a clean pan.
- In a small saucepan, bring the butter and cream to a boil. Slowly add the cream mixture to the mashed potatoes, stirring all the time, over low heat.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper and remove from the heat. Cover and set aside.
Shrimp
- In a large sauté pan, heat the clarified butter over high heat and sauté the shrimp for 1 to 2 minutes on each side, or until just done through.
Assembly
- Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
- Reheat the truffle chips and fried leaks in the oven until just warmed through.
- In 4 large, heated soup bowls mound equal portions of the mashed potatoes. Arrange 3 shrimp and each mound and spoon some of the lobster nage around. Place 3 truffle chips upright in the potatoes and make a little nest of the leeks in the center.
