Shuttlecock Shrimp Curry

By Bill Malloy

Side dishes: best-quality chutney, roasted peanuts, chopped hard-boiled egg, sweet pickle relish, crushed pineapple, flaked coconut, mandarin oranges, chopped scallions, chopped crisp-cooked bacon, chopped olives, raisins, yogurt, and orange marmalade

Makes 4 servings

3 TB unsalted butter
2 cups unpeeled chopped Granny Smith apples
2 cups chopped yellow onions
3 large cloves garlic, pressed
4 tsp curry powder, or more to taste
3 TB flour
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp salt, or more to taste
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp crumbled dried thyme
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper, or more to taste
2 cups homemade chicken stock
1 pound (39 to 40) large peeled cooked shrimp (shrimp cocktail-style shrimp), deveined, tails removed and reserved
1 TB catsup
1/4 cup dry white vermouth
1/2 cup whipping cream
cooked rice

1.  In a wide frying pan, melt the butter over low heat.  Add the apples, onions, and garlic, and cook gently over medium-low heat for a few minutes, until the onions start to become translucent.
2.  Add the curry powder, flour, mustard, salt, paprika, thyme, and pepper, and stir well.  Keeping the heat low, cook and stir occasionally for a few more minutes, while you prepare the stock.
3.  In a large saucepan, combine the stock and shrimp tails.  Bring to a boil, then turn off the heat.  Drain and reserve the stock.  Discard the shells.
4.  Keeping the heat low, add the shrimp-flavored stock to the apple mixture, stirring well.  When all the stock has been added, raise the heat to medium-high, stirring constantly, and add the catsup and vermouth.  Stir and cook until the mixture is thickened.
5.  Lower the heat and add the cream, stirring well, until the mixture has heated through.
6.  Add the shrimp, and stir and cook until the shrimp are heated through but not overcooked.
7.  Serve with the side dishes and rice.  Beer is the traditional beverage.