Spanish Platter
Garlicky shrimp, fruity roasted peppers and fat green olives turn your dinner table into a tapas bar.
1 red pepper
1 yellow pepper
Olive oil
8 or 12 medium uncooked shrimp
1 400-g can white beans or lima beans
3 garlic cloves, finely sliced
1/2 tsp (2 mL) dried chili flakes or cayenne (optional)
1/2 tsp (2 mL) paprika
Sea salt and pepper
16 fat green olives, with pit
8 slices prosciutto or ham
Boston lettuce leaves
Small handful cilantro
Extra paprika for garnish
Dressing
1 Tbsp (15 mL) red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp (30 mL) extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt and pepper
Brush peppers with a little olive oil and grill for 20 minutes until softened. Place in a covered bowl for 10 minutes to steam (this makes the skin easier to peel). Peel off skin and cut peppers into strips, discarding seeds and core (set aside some of the juices if possible).
Peel shrimp, leaving the tails. Drain and rinse beans. Heat a little olive oil in a frying pan on medium heat and cook garlic for 30 seconds. Add shrimp and fry over high heat for two to three minutes, tossing well with garlic, until cooked. Remove shrimp and set aside. Add beans, chili, paprika, sea salt and pepper to frying pan and heat through. Add any leftover juices from baked peppers.
Whisk dressing ingredients in a bowl. Place beans in four small bowls and arrange on four platters with an equal amount of peppers, shrimp, olives, prosciutto and lettuce leaves on each. Garnish with cilantro and paprika, and drizzle with dressing. Serves four.
