Gambas cozidas (poached shrimp with spicy tomato and garlic sauce)
Welcome to the good life in Sonoma, where good food meets good wine meal after meal, as we found on recent visits.
At the Girl & the Fig restaurant in the town of Sonoma, Food editor Leslie Brenner flipped over the pappardelle with Sonoma rabbit ragu. “I had planned to have a very light lunch, but that sounded so good. With a glass of Russian River Valley Pinot, it was so wonderful, I polished it off. I particularly loved the combination of the rabbit with the slim, delicate carrots and the lovely fresh peas.”
The California Cook columnist Russ Parsons went to LaSalette, also in Sonoma, and ordered gambas cozidas, poached shrimp with spicy tomato and garlic sauce. “Most of the tables are outside under umbrellas, and on a sunny day, with a bottle of rose, it was the perfect appetizer,” he says. LaSalette specializes in Portuguese cooking with a slight twist of flavors from the Azores.
Spicy tomato and garlic sauce
In a large bowl, stir together the chili sauce, mayonnaise, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, cilantro, cayenne pepper, salt and ground pepper to taste.
Cover tightly and refrigerate. This is best made in advance to allow the flavors to blend. (Makes one-third cup.)
Shrimp
Bring the stock, wine, onion, bay leaves, garlic, chile flakes, pepper and salt to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Add the shrimp and cook at a fast simmer until they are bright orange and firm, 4 to 5 minutes. Drain and chill thoroughly.
To serve, arrange the shrimp on a platter, with a bowl of the sauce in the center and lemon wedges arranged around the outside so that diners may peel and dip the shrimp.
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