INCREDIBLE SAUCE FOR SHRIMP AND SCALLOPS

Vatapa Sauce

One would probably never guess that the origins of this sauce are Brazilian, since the ingredients are also extensively used in Mexican and Southeast Asian cuisines. This sauce is a favorite because of the numerous layers of texture, flavor, and aroma. It works best topped with a complement of shrimp or sea scallops, over your choice of rice. I prefer to make it directly in a steam table soup pot, or in a double boiler pot on a stovetop, in order to avoid overcooking and keep the vegetable ingredients slightly crunchy.

This sauce stores very well in a freezer. It is definitely worth making a gallon and then storing whatever is left over for another dinner or two.

Hardware: double boiler or steam table soup pot, Chef’s knife, Food Processor with chopping blade

Ingredients:  

9 Tablespoons peanut oil

3 Medium Red Onions

16 Garlic cloves

4 fresh jalapeno peppers

3 Tablespoons fresh ginger root

1 84 ounce can of diced tomatoes (a number 10 can)

3 Cups water

3 Tablespoons lobster base

2 cups unsalted dry-roasted peanuts

1 14 ounce can of unsweetened coconut milk

1 ½ Cups of chopped fresh Parsley (from 1 large bunch)

1 ½ Cups of chopped fresh Cilantro (from 1 large bunch)

1 Tablespoon Sea Salt

1 Tablespoon Black Malabar peppercorn

Procedure:

This is a simple one pot cooking procedure. Liquids are added first, then solids.

1. Add the 9 Tablespoons Peanut Oil
2. Add the 3 Cups distilled water
3. Add the 14 ounces of Coconut Milk.
4. Drain the liquid from the can of diced tomatoes and add only the solid diced tomatoes to the pot. (Adding the tomato juice would make the mixture too thin and acidic.)

Process the following solids and add to the pot:

5. 3 coarsely chopped ( ½ inch diced) medium red onions
6. 16 garlic cloves (1/8 inch minced) Shell the garlic by pressing each clove under the flat side of your Chef’s Knife until it pops. Slice the cloves longitudinally into 1/8^th inch slices. Turn the garlic slices 90 degrees on the cutting board and repeat 1/8^th inch slicing to get the minced (fine dice) garlic. Add to pot.
7. 4 fresh jalapeno peppers: The first step in processing the peppers is to trim off the stems with your Chef’s Knife. Next slice each pepper lengthwise in half. On the inside you will see the pulp and seeds which add unnecessary heat and texture to the dish. Remove the pulp and seeds by scraping them out of each pepper hull with the aid of a small spoon. After removing the pulp and seeds, slice each pepper hull lengthwise into 1/8^th inch strips. Rotate the strips 90 degrees on your cutting board and again make 1/8^th inch slices to get the proper mince (1/8^th inch dice). Add the minced jalapenos to the pot.
8. 3 Tablespoons minced fresh Ginger Root. The first step in processing Ginger is to start with sections of root that are about 1 to 2 inch sections of whole root. Take each section of root and carefully slice of the outside layer of skin which surrounds the inner ivory pulp. This trimmed pulp is then sliced with the grain into 1/8^th inch slices. Each slice is then cut into 1/8^th inch strips. Rotate the strips 90 degrees on your cutting board and again slice every 1/8^th inch to get minced Ginger Root. Add the minced Ginger Root to the pot.
9. Process the Cilantro and Parsley by first thoroughly rinsing off any sand or dirt. Parsley growers in particular are notorious for growing Parsley in fine sandy soil that attaches to the Parsley and is virtually invisible to the eye. Rinse thoroughly. There is nothing worse than getting grit in a finished dish, into which you have exerted so much effort. Once you are sure that the Parsley and Cilantro are clean and grit-free, roll the bunch in paper toweling to remove the water after cleaning. Discard the wet paper toweling. Next, roll the bunch tightly on the cutting board with your hands. Turn the bunch lengthwise on your cutting board. Make paper-thin slices with your Chef’s Knife through the leaves a right angle, starting at the leaf-tip end and finishing where the leaves end and you’re into pure stems. Reserve the leaf trimmings and throw away the stem ends and rubber banding. Fine chop the Parsley and Cilantro Leaves. Add to the pot.
10. Add the 3 Tablespoons of Lobster Base. This is actually a moist paste in a jar. (Most good supermarkets have this where they have jars of quality chicken, beef, and fish base. Base is not Bouillon. That comes in cubes and is a very inferior product, although it does have its rare occasional place in the kitchen. Don’t worry about dissolving the paste. That will happen as you occasionally stir during the cooking phase. Relax and take a sip of good wine if you have some.
11. Add the 1 Tablespoon of Sea Salt. Why Sea Salt? It’s a seafood dish and we want the flavor of the sea. Yes it does taste better with seafood!
12. Grind 1 Tablespoon on black peppercorns in a spice mill. Why? Because fresh ground peppercorn retains all of its aromatic oils and the finished dish will taste much better than if you cheated with pre-ground pepper. Add to the pot.
13. Coarse grind 2 cups of dry-roasted unsalted peanuts in a Food Processor with a chopping blade by using the “Pulse” function, until the peanuts just begin to adhere to the sides of the processor. More than that would produce peanut butter, and you don’t want that. Add to the pot.
14. Stir all of the ingredients until well mixed in the pot. Cook on simmer for about 1 ½ hours, or until the vegetables are slightly crunchy.
15. Use the finished stew-thick sauce on top of rice, and top with your favorite shrimp or sea scallops.
16. Eat and be in rapture.