Lemon-Garlic Butter Shrimp with Cauliflower "Risotto," Asparagus, Mushrooms, and Lemon
Wild shrimp sizzled in garlicky lemon butter, served over a creamy Parmigiano cauliflower "risotto" with tender asparagus, golden mushrooms, and plenty of fresh lemon.
Yield: Serves 4 · Active: 35 min · Total: 40 min · Best in North America in spring, when asparagus is in season (swap in broccolini the rest of the year) · Best eaten: early evening
Ingredients
Shrimp
2 tbsp warm chicken bone broth
1½ lb large wild shrimp, peeled and deveined
¾ tsp Baja Gold sea salt
3 tbsp grass-fed butter
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
Cauliflower "risotto"
1 large head cauliflower, riced
2 tbsp grass-fed butter
1 shallot, finely minced
½ cup chicken bone broth
⅓ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
½ tsp Baja Gold sea salt
Vegetables
1 bunch asparagus, tough ends snapped off, cut into 2-inch pieces
8 oz cremini or oyster mushrooms, sliced
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Pinch of Baja Gold sea salt
Method
Cook the vegetables. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the mushrooms 4–5 minutes, then add the asparagus and salt and cook 3–4 minutes more, until tender-crisp. Set aside.
Make the "risotto." Melt the butter in a wide pan over medium heat, add the shallot for 2 minutes, then the cauliflower and broth. Cook 6–8 minutes, stirring, until tender and creamy, then stir in the Parmigiano and salt.
Cook the shrimp. Pat the shrimp dry and season with salt. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat, add the garlic for 30 seconds, then the shrimp. Cook 1–2 minutes per side, until pink, then pour in the broth, lemon zest, and lemon juice and toss until glossy. Finish with parsley.
Plate. Spoon the cauliflower "risotto" into shallow bowls, top with the asparagus and mushrooms, add the shrimp, and spoon the lemon-garlic butter over everything. Serve with lemon wedges.
Storage: Shrimp, up to 2 days refrigerated; "risotto" and vegetables, up to 3 days. Rewarm gently.
Nourishment Notes: Wild shrimp brings lean complete protein, selenium, iodine, and astaxanthin. Lemon brings vitamin C, plus d-limonene from the zest. Garlic offers allicin and organosulfur compounds. Cauliflower brings glucosinolates and choline. Asparagus offers folate and inulin. Mushrooms bring ergothioneine and B vitamins. Parmigiano adds calcium, K2, and protein.
For your cycle: Shrimp's selenium and iodine support healthy thyroid function, and asparagus's folate and cauliflower's glucosinolates support every phase. Light, bright, and fresh, it's an especially lovely follicular-phase plate.
Sourcing
Shrimp — wild-caught U.S. Gulf, U.S. Atlantic, or Argentine red shrimp, with no added sodium tripolyphosphate
Cauliflower, asparagus, mushrooms, shallot, garlic, parsley, and lemons — organic
Parmigiano-Reggiano — DOP, aged 24+ months, made from raw milk by law
Grass-fed butter — organic, cultured butter from 100% grass-fed cows
Chicken bone broth — homemade from pasture-raised chicken, or Bonafide Provisions (organic, sold frozen)
Extra virgin olive oil — organic, single-estate, harvest-dated, in dark glass
Baja Gold sea salt
— Anna aka Food Marshall