Ingredients:
1 lb fresh or frozen butterbeans
1 lb medium/large sc shrimp tails, shell-on
kosher salt
extra virgin olive oil
4 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
3 tbsp chopped fresh chives
1 lemon
Red Clay Carolina Hot Sauce
za’atar
toasted benne seeds
Instructions:
In a medium pot boil 2 quarts water for the shrimp. In a separate medium pot add butterbeans and enough water to cover by 4-5 inches, set to medium-low heat.
Prepare a large bowl filled with 8 cups ice and enough cold water to just cover the ice. When the shrimp pot reaches a rolling boil, stir in 1/2 cup kosher salt and return to a boil. Add shrimp and cook for 2 minutes then immediately remove shrimp to the bowl of ice water to cool.
Make sure the butterbeans never reach even a low boil, the goal is a bare simmer for 45 min-hour.
While the beans are cooking strain the chilled shrimp and peel the shells. Place in the refrigerator to chill until butterbeans are ready.
The butter beans are cooked when the inside is creamy and the skins are still intact. At that moment remove the pot from the heat and gently stir in 3 tbsp kosher salt. Let the butterbeans sit for 10 minutes to absorb the salt, then gently drain through a colander.
Return the beans to their pot, and place over low heat. Add 2-3 tbsp olive oil and gently stir with a rubber spatula to coat. Add the shrimp and continue to stir to warm them up. At this point you can add the herbs and za’atar and stir.
Remove from the heat and add lemon juice and hot sauce to taste. Spoon shrimp and beans into a shallow bowl and garnish with lemon zest, benne seeds and more olive oil.
serves 2 as an entrée or 4 as a side dish
