From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I like to serve these shrimp as a prelude to a simple steak or roast dinner. It's not my favorite appetizer, but the jalape?o adds zip and the shrimp adds texture to what could otherwise be a boring meal. The dish also has remarkable pink color. I found the recipe, developed by Melissa Jacobson, at Food and Wine where it received rave reviews. The recipe is simple and straight forward and my only caveat is not to marinate the shrimp for more than two hours. While the shrimp have a nice sweet and spicy flavor, they become too vinegary, for my taste anyway, if allowed to chill for longer than that. This first course can be assembled in 30 minutes, but it does need a full 2 hours to marinate and chill. Here's the recipe for a quick and easy starter.

Brined Shrimp with Jalape?o and Garlic...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:

1 pound shelled and deveined large shrimp

1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced

1 jalape?o, thinly sliced crosswise

1 cup red wine vinegar

1/2 cup water

2 tablespoons sugar

3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

1 bay leaf

1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns

1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Directions:

1) In a large pot of boiling salted water, simmer the shrimp until just white throughout, about 2 minutes. Drain and transfer to an 8-by-11-inch glass or ceramic dish. Scatter onion and jalape?o over shrimp.

2) In a small saucepan, combine vinegar, water, sugar, garlic, bay leaf, peppercorns and mustard seeds and bring to a simmer; stir until sugar is dissolved. Pour pickling liquid over shrimp and let cool. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 6 hours. I think 2 hours is plenty.

3) Using a slotted spoon, transfer the shrimp with onion and jalape?o to a medium bowl. Toss with olive oil and salt. Transfer equal portions to 4 individual lettuce lined salad plates. Serve cold. Yield: 4 servings.

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Pink Saturday, sponsored by Beverly at How Sweet the Sound