RECIPE - Sautéed Shrimp with Sauce Rose

This simple and uncomplicated recipe can be made with any fresh shrimp of your choice - large, medium or small. Because the shrimp is served simply and unadorned, I find this dish works best with fresh shrimp. Save frozen shrimp for other uses where they are masked by cream sauces, or breaded.

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Sautéed Shrimp with Sauce Rose
Serves 4

1 lb. (500 gr.) fresh shrimp, deheaded, deveined and peeled
1 Tbsp. neutral vegetable oil
2 Tbsp. butter, softened
2 cloves finely-chopped garlic
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh Italian parsley
1 cup canned tomato sauce (plain)
2 Tbsp. plain cream cheese, Philadelphia-style
1 cup light cream (half and half)
1 Tbsp. brandy or cognac
1 Tbsp. flour
Salt to taste
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Sauce Rose:
Put the tomato sauce, the cream cheese and the light cream in a medium saucepan. In a small bowl cream 1 Tbsp. butter with the flour until a smooth paste as formed. Stir the paste into the ingredients in the saucepan, and continue stirring until well amalgamated, and there are no lumps. Cook over low heat until the sauce thickens and there is no taste of raw flour. Add salt to taste. Heat the cognac carefully in a small container; remove from heat, and light with small match. Let flame until flames extinguish. Add cognac to sauce. Set aside and keep warm.

Sautéed shrimp:
In medium to large saucepan, bring 1 quart (1 litre) of water to a boil. Add a pinch of salt, then shrimp. Reduce heat to simmering. Cook shrimp for 2 minutes, then drain, and immediately refresh in cold water. Add 1 Tbsp. oil and remaining Tbsp. butter to heavy frying pan or saute pan, and heat until butter melts and begins to bubble. Add garlic and onion, and cook until transparent but not browned, about 3 minutes. Add shrimp, and saute, tossing regularly, until thoroughly heated, and until the shimp lightly browns, about 5 minutes.

Serve the shrimp and sauce in separate bowls (see photo) with plain white rice.

(Adapted and translated from a recipe in Na Cozinha, com Lurdinha!)