Saucepan Kisses Recipes

GALVESTON SHRIMP KISSES WITH CARAMELIZED PINEAPPLE COULIS

Steps:

• Peel all of the raw shrimp. One at a time, use a sharp paring knife to slice halfway through the shrimp, butterflying it through the belly side, and creating a place to stuff with the cheese filling. Do not cut all the way through the shrimp, only butterfly it. The shrimp should open up slightly, like a book. (The shrimp can be butterflied through the back, but the stuffing holds up better when it is cradled inside the shrimp by butterflying it through the belly.)
• Make the filling by grating the cheese, and adding it to a bowl with the sliced green onions, and the room-temp cream cheese (microwave in 10-second bursts if you need to soften it) mash it with a fork mixing it all together until you get a mixture that you can make soft cheese balls from.
• Open and lay out your bacon in front of you. Scoop up a small ball of cheese and roll it in your palm (about 1/2" diameter). Take a shrimp and the cheese ball and push the cheese into the butterflied belly. Mash it gently into the opening so that it fills up the space.
• Take your bacon and holding the shrimp in 1 hand, wrap the bacon around the shrimp starting at the top and wrapping over and over towards the bottom until you have covered the cheese and shrimp, secure with toothpicks. The shrimp and cheese should be fully encased in bacon.
• Repeat with the remaining shrimp. When they're all done, place them in the freezer where they won't get smashed. We just want to chill and firm them up since they have been melting in your warm hands. Freeze 30 min while you complete the pineapple sauce.
• For the pineapple: Take the chunks and place them on a foil-lined baking sheet. Spray them with a little cooking spray or oil. Place them in a 400-degree oven for about 20 minutes or until brown. Try not to let many black areas develop. Brown is good, black is burnt! You can also use your oven's broiler but I would not recommend walking away from them. I would stand and watch as the color develops because it tends to happen very quickly.
• Take the brown pineapple pieces and place them in a blender. Blend them into a puree, adding a little water if necessary. Place the puree in a saucepan and add the 1/4 c. butter, a pinch of salt, and a squeeze of lemon. Let the butter melt and stir in the cream. Heat the mixture gradually until it comes to a boil. Let simmer just until it thickens slightly. Taste and add additional salt or lemon juice if necessary. Keep warm while you cook the shrimp.
• Heat a medium-sized saucepan over medium-high heat and fill it half of the way up with canola oil. Heat oil to about 385 degrees. Place 2-4 freezer-chilled shrimp at a time into the hot oil and let them fry until the bacon is crisp and the cheese inside is hot and melty. Dry them off on a cooling rack or on paper towels. Remove the toothpicks before serving.
• To plate, place a bit of sauce on a plate, top with the shrimp, and sprinkle with cilantro and chipotle pepper powder.

ARIANE DAGUIN'S FRENCH KISSES AND GASCOGNE SUSHI

Steps:

• Two to three weeks ahead, soak the prunes in Armagnac, checking frequently and adding more Armagnac if necessary (prunes absorb it quickly).
• Place the duck terrine in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until smooth and spreadable (do not overpulse). Reserve 10 tablespoons for the Gascogne sushi and put the rest in a pastry bag fitted with a large tip.
• Pipe the foie gras into prunes (use your finger to make the center larger) to create French kisses.
• For Gascogne sushi, spread 1 tablespoon of mousse onto each duck prosciutto slice and roll up.