Foodily

May 21, 2021
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Farhan Momin, who runs the pop-up Farmo Cooks and the butcher shop Atlanta Halal Meat & Food, likes to make his own flavored ghee by toasting whole spices like coriander seeds and smoky black cardamom in butter. He uses the resulting mixture to poach shrimp, though the flavored ghee would also be great spooned over any lean protein such as chicken or fish. Don’t stress too much if you don’t have every single spice on the list, use what you have and love.

Ingredients

4 Servings

spiced ghee

cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter

1″ piece ginger, peeled, crushed

garlic cloves, crushed

chiles de árbol, broken into pieces, seeds removed

chipotle chile, broken into pieces

black cardamom pod, crushed

whole star anise

1″ cinnamon stick

whole cloves

tsp. coriander seeds

tsp. cumin seeds

tsp. black peppercorns

Shrimp

Juice of 1 lime

tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt

tsp. Kashmiri chile powder or paprika

tsp. turmeric

lb. large shrimp, peeled, deveined, preferably tails left on

Warm naan or country-style bread (for serving)

special equipment:

layers of cheesecloth

Preparation

Spiced Ghee

Step 1

Line a fine-mesh sieve set over a measuring glass with cheesecloth. Heat butter, ginger, garlic, chiles de árbol, chipotle chile, cardamom, star anise, cinnamon stick, cloves, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, and peppercorns in a medium heavy saucepan over low until foaming and milk solids turn brown and begin to stick to bottom of pan, about 45 minutes.

Step 2

Strain infused ghee through prepared sieve. Set toasted spices and ghee aside separately for cooking shrimp. Set sieve with cheesecloth aside.

Step 3

Do ahead: Spiced ghee can be made 1 week ahead. Cover and chill.
Shrimp

Step 4

Place reserved toasted spices and 3 Tbsp. reserved ghee in a blender. Add lime juice, salt, chile powder, turmeric, and a splash of water. Blend, scraping down sides as needed and adding more water by the tablespoonful, until a smooth paste forms. Transfer to a medium bowl; add shrimp and toss to coat. Let sit 30 minutes.

Step 5

Heat remaining reserved ghee in a large skillet, preferably cast iron, over low. Cook shrimp, turning halfway through, until opaque throughout and pink, about 4 minutes total.

Step 6

Using a slotted spoon, divide shrimp among plates and drizzle 1–2 Tbsp. warm ghee in skillet over. Serve shrimp with naan.

Step 7

Don’t throw out the ghee remaining in the skillet—you can save it to poach more shrimp or other seafood and fish, such as scallops and salmon, or toss it with pasta. Simply cook remaining ghee over medium heat until foaming, about 2 minutes. Strain ghee again through reserved sieve into an airtight container; cover and chill.

Step 8

Do ahead: Shrimp ghee can be made 1 week ahead. Keep chilled.