Bring on the herbs

Cast-iron shrimp & spatchcocked grilled chicken

Hello dear readers! Welcome to today’s installment of Stories from Catbird Cottage. I have two juicy recipes for the Memorial Day holiday: one for all subscribers, and an additional one for paying subscribers. I’m running a spring special right now on paid subscriptions - 20% off for a year - which comes out to less than $3 a post. It’s a terrific deal and ensures you’ll receive every bit of the delicious, unique content I work hard to produce. Supporting my work with a paid subscription is a real help, I greatly appreciate it!

Everything in my kitchen receives a flourish of fresh herbs. Sometimes it’s a shower. An herb sauce? Makes me so happy. The brightening effect of herbs brings lightness to rich or deep flavors, creating new layers to delight in as we experience foods. In these two recipes, a shower of herbs helps make a rough “sauce” for colossal shrimp, and the other, an actual sauce to anoint juicy grilled chicken. If you’re not a fan of shrimp, the chicken’s sure to be a hit, and if you’re vegetarian make the caper-herb sauce and lash it on everything. Promise it’s a game-changer. ;)

My husband’s grandmother used to exclaim how wonderful - and bold - it was that I used fresh herbs so often, but that she not dare. She lived alone and an entire bunch felt costly, and would go to waste before she could get through it all. While their perishability is definitely a factor, what herbs deliver experientially will always win for me. That’s why I didn’t make herbs in garnishes ‘optional’ in my book - they really make a difference!

These days, with the availability of potted herbs at markets and groceries, it is fairly straightforward to grow an herb garden, even in containers on your windowsill. Doing so makes using herbs (in everything, ofc) a no-brainer. Highly recommend. If you buy them at the market, consider freezing any herbs you think you won’t go through in time, chopped up and topped off with olive oil in an ice cube tray. Just pop the frozen cubes out and store them in a resealable bag, then defrost them one at a time in a jar in the fridge when you’re ready for more. I have a real glut of parsley in my garden right now. The hot weather is causing them to start to bolt, and this method is saving me!

You can of course, also make herb sauces and use the bounty in that way. Feel free to swap dill for the cilantro in the shrimp recipe if you prefer, or cilantro or dill for tarragon in the chicken. These recipes are kind of forgiving in that way and will remain unquestionably delicious.

Garlic + herb cast-iron shrimp

8 colossal shrimp
2 cloves garlic, finely grated on a microplane
1/2 cup curly parsley, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup cilantro, coarsely chopped
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp kosher salt
freshly cracked pepper
1 tbsp chive butter
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 lemon, cut into cheeks, to garnish
flaky salt, to sprinkle

chive butter
1/2 bunch chives, finely sliced
1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
3 tbsp room temperature salted butter
Pinch of flaky salt

Make the compound butter: combine the chives, lemon zest, and salt with the butter and mash into a uniform mixture. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Set aside.

Use a pair of kitchen shears to cut the shrimp shells: make a shallow cut down the center along the length of each shrimp to expose the vein. Devein them, then rinse each under cold water, pat dry, and set aside.

Combine the parsley, cilantro, 1 tbsp olive oil, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper in a large bowl. Toss shrimp in the mixture to coat, being sure to slather some of the aromatic mixture on the meat at the cut line, inside the shell. 

Get a cast-iron skillet hot set over high heat. Turn heat to medium-high, add half the chive butter and half of the remaining olive oil, and swirl the pan to coat. Add shrimp 4 at a time so as not to crowd the pan. Scatter half the garlic over top and leave them undisturbed to cook. This aromatic paste will turn crispy as it cooks, adding to the textures once served.

After 3-4 minutes, they should have a nice char - turn them to the second side and sear for another minute or two, just until the flesh turns opaque. Transfer the first batch to a serving plate and repeat with the second, adding the last of the chive butter, garlic paste, and oil - lowering the heat to medium as needed. Once the shrimp are all cooked, pour a couple tablespoons of water to deglaze the pan, then transfer that liquid to the shrimp plate, and bring to the table.

Finish shrimp with a squeeze of lemon and dig in! If the shells don’t feel unwieldy, you can eat the whole thing. If they are fibrous, have a bowl at the center of the table, peel and eat the shrimp, and have some crusty bread at the ready to sop up the juices!

Spatchcock brick-grilled chicken with scapes + garden herb sauce