Roasted Honey-Chili Shrimp with Figs & Pearl Onions

by Susan Hanna

This delicious recipe from the LCBO’s Food and Drink is sweet and spicy. Marinate raw shrimp in sriracha while you roast figs and pearl onions. Add the shrimp to the figs and onions for the last 10 minutes of cooking. Cook’s note: Instead of making the fig reduction, I drizzled balsamic vinegar mixed with brown sugar over the finished dish.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Use butter that does not contain colour and a sriracha without preservatives; I use Simply Natural brand. Fresh shrimp is often treated with sulfites to keep it fresher longer; look for frozen shrimp with only salt added. If using dried figs, look for ones without sulfites added, such as Aurora brand. Balsamic vinegar usually has sulfites added but you can find brands with only naturally occurring sulfites. For more recipes using all-natural ingredients, visit Eye For a Recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp (15 ml) melted butter
• 3 tbsp (45 ml) runny honey
• 1 tbsp (15 ml) sriracha
• 40 (approx.) sustainable, peeled, deveined, medium-size (21/25), raw shrimp
• ¼ cup (60 ml) melted butter
• 10 fresh or dried figs or a combination of both
• 10 pearl onions, peeled

Balsamic fig reduction

• 2 cups (500 ml) balsamic vinegar
• ½ cup (125 ml) fig jam

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
2. Into a large bowl add 1 tbsp (15 ml) melted butter, honey, sriracha and raw shrimp; toss to cover, set aside until ready to roast.
3. Add the ¼ cup (60 ml) melted butter to an ovenproof casserole or roasting pan, add the figs and onions; put into the oven for about 40 minutes. Remove pan and add the shrimp mixture; toss to combine and pop back into the oven for 10 minutes. Take out, stir, return to oven for another 5 to 10 minutes or until shrimp are pink and just cooked through. Keep in mind, they will continue to cook for a while once removed from the oven.
4. To a high-sided skillet or saucepan over high heat, add the balsamic vinegar and fig jam. Stir occasionally and boil until reduced to about 1 cup (250 ml), about 20 to 25 minutes.
5. Transfer to a glass jar and allow to cool. It can be kept covered in the fridge for several weeks.
6. Bring the casserole right to the table (or transfer to serving platter) with some warmed flatbread, pita or naan. Serve with a drizzle of balsamic fig reduction, if desired. Serves 6 to 8; makes 1 cup (250 ml) balsamic fig reduction.

From Food and Drink