Tiger Shrimp with Pernod Cream
Chef Gregg Wangard of Ocean and Vine Restaurant at the Loews Santa Monica Hotel- Santa Monica, CA

Yield: 2 Main Course Servings or 4 Appetizer Servings

Ingredients:

Cavatelli Dough:
• ½ pound ricotta cheese
• 1 egg
• ½ Tablespoon water
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 cups flour
  
  Pernod Cream:
• 3 slices Nueske’s bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 shallots, sliced
• 2 cups Pernod
• 1 quart heavy cream
  
  Tiger Shrimp:
• 2 Tablespoons butter
• 8 U8 tiger shrimp, peeled and deveined
• ½ cup white wine
• 1 cup Pernod cream
• 20 pieces homemade cavatelli
• 20 medium tourné seasonal squash
• 2-3 Tablespoons herb butter
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

For Cavatelli Dough:
Combine ricotta cheese, egg, water, salt and pepper. Slowly add flour. When mixture comes to form, place a piece of plastic over top and let rest for 30 minutes. After the dough has rested, roll the dough into a thin log and cut ½ inch pieces and roll them on back of a fork. Make sure that you have all-purpose flour on hand when rolling the cavatelli. Then blanch the cavatelli in hot water (190°) for about 2-3 minutes or until they float on top of the water. Have ice water available to shock the cavatelli after blanching. Set aside.

For Pernod Cream:
Start by rendering the bacon in a heavy-bottomed pan. After the bacon has rendered add the shallots and briefly sauté. When you begin to smell the shallot, de-glaze the shallot and bacon with Pernod and add the heavy cream. Let the cream reduce by 3/4 over medium to low heat. Strain the cream, and set aside.

For Tiger Shrimp:
Heat butter in a sauté pan over high heat. Once pan is hot add shrimp seasoned with salt and pepper. Turn shrimp over once first side turns pink and de-glaze with white wine. Reduce the wine until the pan is almost dry. Remove the shrimp from the pan and set aside. Add Pernod cream, cavatelli, and squash. Once cream begins to bubble rapidly, add butter. Add the shrimp back to the pan and finish cooking. The sauce should coat the back of a spoon. Check the dish for proper seasoning and serve.