1 lb jumbo shrimp, cleaned and tail-on (see Kayla’s notes)
salt and pepper
½ lemon
Manchego Polenta
4 cups water
1 cup polenta
4 oz shredded manchego cheese
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
With the broiler on high, broil the tomatillos and serrano peppers for about 5 minutes on one side before flipping them over and finishing them for 5 more minutes, or until completely charred. Let cool. Peel off the skins and finely chop the tomatillos and peppers. In a mixing bowl, toss the tomatillos and peppers with the red onion, lemon zest, salt and water. Set aside until ready to serve.
In a large sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the chorizo (left whole) and cook for about 10-12 minutes, turning occasionally. Remove the chorizo and let rest on a cutting board. Return the pan with the chorizo drippings to the heat. Add the shrimp and cook until pink, about 2-3 minutes per side. Cut the chorizo on a diagonal into large chunks and toss back into the pan with the shrimp. Give the entire pan a good squeeze of lemon right at the end.
While the chorizo is cooking, start the polenta. Bring the water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Whisk in the polenta and lower the heat to a simmer. Cook the polenta until thick and creamy, continuing to whisk until it is done. Add the Manchego cheese and let melt. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter, salt and pepper. Adjust seasoning if necessary.
To Serve
Serve a large mound of shrimp and chorizo over the Manchego polenta. Top with the salsa verde.
Notes
To clean the shrimp, first remove the head. Then peel off the shell, leaving the last segment intact so that the tail stays on. To devein, run a pairing knife down the back of the shrimp (don’t cut too deep). Use your fingers to remove the thin, grey vein that lies within. Rinse with water and pat dry.