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Thyme and Garlic Marinated Shrimp with Ratatouille and Romesco Sauce

Serves 2

For the shrimp:
12 large peeled and deveined shrimp-tails on

Marinade for shrimp (makes 2-3 batches):

•  1 ½ TBSP. fresh thyme
•  1 cup extra virgin olive oil
•  Kosher and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Blend marinade ingredients for approx. 30 second. Adjust seasoning. Pour over shrimp in a Ziploc bag and refrigerate 30 minutes.

For Romesco sauce:

• 12 blanched almonds
• 12 hazelnuts
• 1 head garlic
• 1 slice stale bread
• 2 ripe medium tomatoes
• 2 large roasted red peppers, well-drained if using jarred
• 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
• Approximately ½ cup sherry vinegar

Roast garlic but cutting off the head a brushing with olive oil. Place on a cookie sheet in preheated 350 degree oven and roast for 20 minutes or until garlic is soft inside.

Place almonds and hazelnuts into food processor and grind finely.

Pour 1-2 TBSP. of olive oil in a medium pan and quickly fry bread until both sides are browned. Remove from pan and cool.

Cut tomatoes into quarters. Add 1 TBSP. olive oil to pan and sauté tomatoes for about 4-5 minutes.

Once bread is cool tear into 6 pieces and add to the nuts in the food processor. Add saureed tomatoes and blend in processor. Squeeze roasted garlic from the skin and add to processor. Add roasted peppers and blend until you create a thick paste.

For the Ratatouille:

• 1 yellow squash, small dice
• 1 zucchini, small dice
• ½ medium size eggplant, skin on, small dice
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 red pepper, small dice
• 1 yellow pepper, small dice
• 1 tomato, diced
• 1/3 red onion, small dice
• 3 cloves garlic, sliced
• 2 TBSP. olive oil
• Kosher salt
• Fresh ground pepper

Sauté onions and peppers in a heated pan with olive oil. Add all other ingredients and sauté for about 15-20 minute until vegetables are soft.

To cook the shrimp:
Remove shrimp from marinade

Heat a medium sauté pan with 1 ½ TBSP. extra virgin olive oil. Salt and pepper the shrimp. Add shrimp to hot pan and sauté about 2 minutes per side

To plate:
Spoon ratatouille on a rectangle plate. Cross shrimp over ratatouille, and “swish” romesco sauce.

About Carmel Café: Carmel Cafe & Wine Bar creates a dining experience defined by innovative cuisine, variety of serving sizes for both food and beverages and an evolutionary menu ordering system that offers guests a simple and easy way to customize their entire meal.

Modern Mediterranean, known as Mod Med, is a modern interpretation of favorite dishes from countries such as Italy, Spain, France, Greece and Morocco. Mod Med dishes incorporate – and update - traditional foods from that region to highlight fresh, natural flavors.  For more information, please visit carmelcafe.com.