Mediterranean Shrimp & White Beans

Ingredients

• 1 lblarge shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 2 canscannellini beans drained and rinsed
• 1 pintcherry tomatoes, halved
• 4 clovesgarlic, thinly sliced
• 1 smallshallot, finely diced
• 1/2 cupdry white wine
• 1/4 cupextra-virgin olive oil the best you have
• 1lemon, zest and juice
• 1 tspfennel seed optional
• 1/4 tspred pepper flakes
• 2 tbspflat-leaf parsley, chopped
• to tastesea salt and black pepper

Method

1. 01

   Pat the shrimp dry — wet shrimp steam, dry shrimp sear. Season with salt, pepper, and the lemon zest. Let them sit while you start the base.

2. 02

   Warm the olive oil in a wide skillet over medium-low. Add the shallot and garlic and cook gently until soft and translucent, four to five minutes. Don't let them brown — color here turns the dish bitter.

3. 03

   Stir in the fennel seed and red pepper flakes. Wait thirty seconds for the oil to take on their perfume.

4. 04

   Pour in the white wine. Raise the heat and let it reduce by half — about three minutes. The kitchen should smell sharp, then mellow as the alcohol burns off.

5. 05

   Add the tomatoes and beans. Simmer until the tomatoes slump and the beans are warmed through, five to seven minutes. Taste and season.

6. 06

   Push the beans to the edges of the pan and lay the shrimp into the center in a single layer. Cook one to two minutes per side, just until pink and barely opaque. Pull them when they look almost done — they finish in residual heat.

7. 07

   Off the heat: the lemon juice, the parsley, a final drizzle of olive oil. Taste once more.