Pineapple Shrimp Boats With Bell Peppers
1281 days ago
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A few years ago, we made Chicken Teriyaki Bowls that were presented in a pineapple bowl. I always remembered not only how good this dish was, but also how beautiful it looked served in a half pineapple. I wanted to do a twist on this original recipe, instead using shrimp.
Pineapple Shrimp Boats with Bell Peppers takes what I love about the original recipe and adds some heat to balance out the sweetness of the pineapple. The sauce is what pushes your taste buds over-the-top as it uses the sweetness of pineapple, orange juice and light brown sugar to counter the heat found within the Siracha and minced ginger. It’s definitely a sweet and spicy combination that works well with the shrimp.
How to Make the Pineapple Boats
The first thing you need to do is make your pineapple boat, which is actually quite easy. Using a 6-3/4" Petite Carver, cut the pineapple in half lengthwise, leaving the crown intact.
Slice the interior part of the pineapple around the perimeter, angling the knife toward the middle. Be careful not to cut through the rind.
Then slice the fruit lengthwise and crosswise into chunks.
Finally, scoop out the pieces and set those aside as you’ll need the pineapple chunks later.
Preparing the Shrimp
The next step is prepping the shrimp, which needs to be peeled, deveined and patted dry. To devein the shrimp, use a 3" Gourmet Prep Knife. Take a look at our handy How to Devein Shrimp tutorial to learn how.
To julienne the bell pepper, use the 7-5/8" Petite Chef knife to cut off the top and then cut the sides away from the center of the pepper. Remove any seeds and pith from these large slices and then cut them into thin strips.
Now it’s time to cook, starting with the sauce. Put the first seven ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat and stir until combined. To add the cornstarch (your thickening agent) to this heated mixture, make sure to mix it first with the chicken broth until it’s thoroughly dissolved and then add it to the saucepan. If you add cornstarch that has not been dissolved into a liquid, it will make your sauce lumpy. Once the sauce is thickened, set aside.
In a skillet, cook the shrimp until just pink, making sure to not overcook the shrimp as it will get tough. Remove the shrimp from the skillet and then add the remaining oil, followed by the bell peppers and the pineapple chunks from your pineapple boats. Then add the previously prepared sauce and make sure everything is coated. Add the shrimp to bring everything to the same temperature and remove from the heat.
Scoop the shrimp mixture into the pineapple boats and serve on a large platter. Have a bowl full of cooked rice ready so people can scoop rice and then the shrimp mixture onto a plate for their individual meal.
Pineapple Shrimp Boats with Bell Peppers was everything I was hoping for – sweet and spicy shrimp with vegetables served in a beautiful pineapple boat. And while presentation is important, what’s more impressive with this simple recipe is the flavor. We all kept eating it straight from the pineapple boat. Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 1 pineapple
- 1/2 cup unsweetened pineapple juice
- 3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Sriracha
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon orange juice
- 1 tablespoon minced ginger
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 pound medium uncooked shrimp, peeled, deveined and patted dry
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 red bell pepper, julienned
- 1 green bell pepper, julienned
- 2 cup fresh pineapple cubes (from pineapple)
- 4 green onions, sliced, for garnish
Directions
Make the Pineapple Boats
- Using a 6-3/4" Petite Carver, cut the pineapple in half lengthwise, leaving the crown intact.
- Slice the flesh around the perimeter of the pineapple boat, angling the knife toward the middle. Be careful not to cut through the rind.
- Slice the fruit lengthwise and crosswise into chunks.
- Scoop out the pieces.
Make the Shrimp:
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the pineapple juice, 3/4 cup chicken broth, soy sauce, Sriracha, brown sugar, orange juice and ginger. Stir until mixed together. Combine the cornstarch with additional chicken broth and stir until cornstarch is dissolved and add to the pineapple juice mixture. Stir and let simmer until the sauce is thickened, about 6-8 minutes.
- Season the shrimp with salt and pepper. In a large skillet over medium heat, add 3 teaspoons of olive oil and heat. Add the shrimp and cook, flipping once, until pink, approximately 2 minutes in total. Make sure to not overcook the shrimp as it will turn tough. Transfer the shrimp to a plate and set aside.
- In the same skillet, add the remaining teaspoon of olive oil. Add the red and green bell peppers and cook for approximately 2-4 minutes, until just tender. Add the pineapple cubes and the reserved sauce. Turn the heat up to medium-high and once the mixture is at a full simmer, add the cooked shrimp and stir to combine and bring everything to the same temperature.
- Scoop into the pineapple boats, sprinkle with green onions and serve immediately. Can be served over rice or quinoa.
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