Citrus season has now arrived, a jewel-toned gift to those of us who live somewhere that’s currently gray. Like many people, I gravitate toward stews and braises this time of year, the genre of home cooking that can best be described as “something in warm sauce.”
But I love to cut through that richness with the magnificent citrus you can find right now: lemons, limes, grapefruit, mandarins, tangerines, blood oranges and so on. The list is long, and the flavors are bracing.
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Citrus Skillet Shrimp With Shallots and Jalapeños
By Yasmin Fahr
Total time: 15 minutes
Servings: 4
INGREDIENTS
- 1 navel orange, zested and juiced (see tip)
- 2 limes, zested and juiced (see tip)
- 1 medium shallot, cut into thin rings
- 1 jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- Kosher salt
- ½ packed cup fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems
- 1½ pounds large peeled, deveined shrimp (tails on or off)
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
STEPS
- In a small bowl, combine the orange and lime zest and juice with the shallot, jalapeño, cumin and ½ teaspoon salt; stir to combine. Roughly chop two-thirds of the cilantro and add it to the bowl; toss to combine, then set aside the citrus mixture.
- Pat the shrimp dry. Season all over with salt and paprika. Heat a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add the oil, tilt the skillet to slick the bottom evenly, then spread the shrimp in an even layer. (It’s OK if they are a little snug.) Cook the shrimp, undisturbed, for 3 minutes, until just pink underneath. Turn the shrimp over and cook until the shrimp are fully pink all over, with no gray spots, 1 to 3 minutes more, depending on the size of the shrimp.
- Remove from the heat onto an empty burner and immediately pour the citrus mixture into the skillet, gently tossing to coat the shrimp, about 1 minute. (The shrimp will continue to cook in the residual heat so you can undercook the shrimp by 30 seconds.) Lightly tear or chop the remaining cilantro, sprinkle on top and serve.
Tip: To maximize the amount of citrus juice without using (or cleaning) a press, insert a fork into an orange or lime half, and move it up and down like a lever while squeezing the citrus. Pulp is welcome.
Sheet-Pan Lemony Chicken With Brussels Sprouts
By Yasmin Fahr
Total time: 1 hour
Servings: 2-4
INGREDIENTS
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter or ghee, at room temperature
- 2 lemons, both zested (about 2 tablespoons), 1 cut into very thin rounds and 1 halved, seeds removed
- ½ cup flat-leaf parsley leaves and tender stems, finely chopped
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- 3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 1½ to 2 pounds)
- 1½ pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved, tough outer leaves removed
- 1 small red onion, peeled, quartered and cut into 1-inch wedges
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan
STEPS
- Heat the oven to 450 degrees, set one rack 6 inches from the broiler and place another rack in the lower third of the oven. In a large bowl, combine the butter, zest of both lemons, half the parsley and 1 teaspoon salt. Rub 1 teaspoon oil on a sheet pan. Pat the chicken dry, then transfer to the sheet pan and season well with salt and pepper. Reserve about 1 teaspoon of the compound butter in the bowl, then rub the rest all over the chicken and under the skin by lifting it up, pushing a tiny amount of compound butter underneath, then pressing on top. Arrange the chicken pieces skin-side up.
- Add the Brussels sprouts, onion wedges, lemon rounds, red pepper flakes and the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil to the bowl with the compound butter; toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Arrange the Brussels sprouts mixture around the chicken, placing some lemon rounds on top of the vegetables.
- Roast on the lower rack, 30 to 35 minutes, stirring the vegetables halfway through, until the chicken is crispy, the chicken juices run clear when the meat is pierced with a fork, and the Brussels sprouts are browned and crunchy. If the chicken skin is not as crispy as you’d like, transfer the vegetables to a serving platter, then place the chicken under the broiler for 1 to 3 minutes. Transfer the chicken to the serving platter.
- Squeeze one of the lemon halves over the chicken and vegetables and cut the remaining lemon half into quarters. Garnish the chicken and vegetables with the cheese and the remaining parsley, and serve with the lemon wedges.