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Scampi A La Joe "Dogs"

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    Posted: 22 March 2011 at 11:03
Time for another chapter in the ongoing saga of "Joe Dogs" Iannuzzi... This anecdote and recipe come from a time in Florida when Joe and Tommy Agro had a drug deal about to go down. This is a most unusual scampi recipe that I am making tonight...can't wait to try it.

Quote Jiggs was a Columbo Family capo from Brooklyn who liked to tell people he'd retired to Miami.

Yeah.

You retire from the mafia when you retire from living. It's like the IRA motto: "Once in, never out." Anyway, Jiggs had set up a meet with two suitcases from New York who needed investors in a marijuana smuggling operation. He figured Tommy Agro could come up with some fast cash. T.A. brought me to the meet as a backup.

Bobby Amelio and his partner, Rabbit Fusco, were a couple of knockaround Mafia wannabees - babes in the woods, we called those kind-who were always on the fringe of a hustle. T.A. didn't like them, but "like" didn't matter to Tommy when money was involved. Jiggs made the introductions and began pouring drinks while I headed to the kitchen to impress the guys with my Shrimp scampi.

Now i know you're gonna say "Whoa, half a pound of butter and sour cream?!" But remember, these guys ain't exactly concerned about their cholesterol count. So when serving guests with more normal appetites just keep the sauce on the side.


Quote Shrimp Scampi A La Joe Dogs
A very different scampi recipe that you'll enjoy.

2 lb 16-20 shrimp
1/2 lb (2 sticks) butter
1 shallot, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups sour cream
2 tbsp chopped dried chives
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp accent (optional)

Shell, de-vein and butterfly the shrimp. Set on a large flat pan and set aside.

Melt butter in a good thick metal pot and add shallot and garlic. Sauté 3 to 5 minutes over low heat.

Add sour cream and stir. Sour cream will be thick at first, but thin down as it's heated.

Add chives, garlic powder and Accent.

Simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally for 30 to 45 minutes, until it thickens to a nice texture.

If you're going to broil the shrimp, watch them closely so they don't overcook, or pan sauté them.

Pour sauce over the cooked shrimp and serve over hot cooked rice.


"What are you gonna cook for these guys Joe? I didn't know you knew how to cook." Jiggs, a huge man with an Italian cigar nob apparently surgically attached to the side of his mouth, looked impressed.

"I used to be a sauce chef when i was a working stiff," I told him. "I like foolin' around in the kitchen."

"You mean you retired from workin' so you could become Tommy Agro's valet, chauffeur and f___king cook?" he asked. I lifted a large carving knife from the block and Jiggs went back out to the living room while I went back to my shrimp.


I'm making this tonight with roasted asparagus and jasmine rice.
Go ahead...play with your food!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote TasunkaWitko Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 March 2011 at 12:33
i like it! as you said, a uniquie and interesting recipe, and i am loving the anecdotes that come with them!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Hoser Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 March 2011 at 12:39
Originally posted by TasunkaWitko TasunkaWitko wrote:

i like it! as you said, a uniquie and interesting recipe, and i am loving the anecdotes that come with them!


Honest to God Ron...it's by far the most entertaining cookbook you will ever read...cover to cover, and you'll be upset when there is no more to read.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote MomInAnApron Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 March 2011 at 12:43
The scampi recipe IS very different! I can't wait to hear how it turns out, it sounds good!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Hoser Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 March 2011 at 15:19
OK folks...we're off to the races with the scampi. Here's basically what we started with:



Minced up the shallots and garlic nice and fine



Trimmed the asparagus, tossed it in extra virgin oil and seasoned with granulated garlic and pepper, then heated the oven to 350°



Got some butter melting to start the sauce, and measured out my other ingredients





Then stirred in the sour cream to get the sauce stared in earnest



Peeled and de-veined my shrimp and seasoned them up with pepper and a bit of Old Bay that is the only liberty I took with this recipe...then pan sautéd them for 2 minutes a side, and popped them into the pot with the sauce and removed it from the heat.



Then plated it all up and dove in head first



The Verdict:...Awesome! Mrs. Hoser even said "you should make the rice like that all the time, I'd learn to love rice"  This recipe is quite different, mainly because of the sour cream, which add a nice tang to it...almost a citrus note, like you had put a teaspoon of lemon zest in there. I will definitely put this one in my regular rotation of favorites. I would encourage you all to try it, and maybe add a little onion powder as well as garlic powder to the sauce. As for my improvisation (the Old Bay), it was a nice complement to the shrimp...didn't overpower anything, just added a little something to the shrimp that the garlic sauce alone wouldn't. When I make it again, the Old Bay will be used again.
Go ahead...play with your food!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Hoser Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 March 2011 at 15:56
Oops! forgot to mention that after I plated, I drizzled the asparagus and the scampi with a bit of Olio Carli Olive Oil...it sure didn't hurt anything!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote TasunkaWitko Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 14 February 2018 at 11:39
I've been wanting to try this since the first time Dave posted about it; I even ordered "Joe Dogs" Iannuzzi's book!

Sometime in the next few weeks I'll see if I can get it made...looking forward to it!

Ron
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote TasunkaWitko Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 March 2018 at 09:06
We tried this over the weekend and really enjoyed it ~ to me, the things that make it "unusual" are also the things that really make it good.

We followed the recipe, except for the Accent, since we didn't have any of that. The sour cream really makes this nice, and I had no complaints at all about it. The rest of the family enjoyed it too, and we will be making it again.

It's worth trying, guys - and I am guessing that seafood is on sale at most markets right now, so there's no reason not to!

Ron

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Hoser Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 March 2018 at 11:03
Have you tried anything else from the "Joe Dogs" book Ron? I'd be interested in your opinion.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote TasunkaWitko Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 March 2018 at 11:10
His Marinara is on deck soon, but this is the first time I've tried anything from the book. I have it tucked away somewhere and need to retrieve it so that I can look through it and try a few more.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Hoser Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 March 2018 at 12:21
I think you'll like his marinara Ron, but it's awfully tough to beat the "Johnny Sacks " recipe that we have both tried.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote TasunkaWitko Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 March 2018 at 12:44
Aye - Johnny Sack's is my go-to sauce, but I'll try anything, once!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote TasunkaWitko Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 March 2018 at 14:19
For those of you wondering who or what Dave and I are talking about, you can learn more about Joe Dogs and the book here:

http://a.co/7dNBCDY

(Please take a moment to click the link above and read about this product. Doing so helps this forum pay for itself! )
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