Smoky Pepper, Mashed Potato, and Shrimp Crêpes with Roasted Green Beans
During the summer, I’ve always got a batch of these smoky, silky red peppers in my fridge. I like using them as an omelet filling, on top of grilled fish, or to roll up in a crêpe. (You might want to make a double batch.) I love the way the peppers play off the potatoes, which are mashed here with olive oil so they’re slightly chunky and rich. I serve these crêpes with roasted green beans, which for me pulls together my favorite flavors from paella—shrimp, garlic, peppers, smoked paprika, and green beans.
Makes 4 filled crêpes; serves 4 as a light lunch or 2 as a main course for dinner
FOR THE SMOKY PEPPERS
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1½ lb/680 g red bell peppers (or other sweet red peppers, such as pimiento or lipstick), cored, seeded, and cut into ½-in/6-mm strips
Kosher salt
1 large clove garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp smoked paprika, preferably Spanish (pimentón de la Vera), plus more for dusting the tops of the crêpes
1 tsp sherry or balsamic vinegar
3 or 4 dashes of hot pepper sauce
FOR THE MASHED POTATOES
1 large Yukon gold potato (8 oz/225 g), peeled and cut into chunks
Kosher salt
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
FOR THE SHRIMP
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
8 oz/225 g medium or large raw shrimp, peeled, deveined, and cut into ½-in/12-mm pieces
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large clove garlic, finely chopped
Hot pepper sauce
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
4 Versatile or Buckwheat Crêpes or your choice
2 tbsp grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 recipe Roasted Green Beans
MAKE THE SMOKY PEPPERS
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bell peppers and stir in ½ tsp salt. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to sizzle and steam, 2 to 3 minutes. Lower the heat to medium-low and cook, covered, stirring every once in a while, until the peppers are very soft and juicy, 30 to 40 minutes. Uncover, stir in the garlic, and continue cooking, uncovered this time, until the juices thicken and reduce, 8 to 10 minutes more. Stir in the paprika, vinegar, and hot sauce. Taste the peppers and season with more salt, paprika, vinegar, and/or hot sauce. Set aside. (You can make the peppers up to 4 days ahead and store in the refrigerator.)
MAKE THE MASHED POTATOES
Meanwhile, put the potatoes in a small saucepan and cover with about 2 in/5 cm of cold water. Add 2 tsp of salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, and then gently boil until the potatoes are very soft when pierced with a fork, about 20 minutes. Reserve about ½ cup/120 ml of the cooking water, and then drain the potatoes. Return the potatoes to the pot and mash them with a potato masher or a heavy wooden spoon, adding a little cooking water to loosen them up (it’s okay if they’re lumpy). Mash in the olive oil, then taste for salt. Add more salt, if you like, and stir in a healthy dose of black pepper. Set aside.
MAKE THE SHRIMP
Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over high heat. When it’s shimmering hot, add the shrimp, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring often, until they’re just cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook another 30 seconds or so. Add the lemon juice, along with a few shakes of hot sauce, and stir and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Stir in the parsley and remove from the heat; taste and add more salt, lemon, or hot sauce. Set aside.
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400°F/200°C/gas 6. Butter the bottom of an 8-in/20-cm square baking dish.
Lay the crêpes presentation-side down on a clean work surface. Divide the mashed potatoes evenly among the crêpes, and then carefully and gently spread the potatoes horizontally across the center of each crêpe (if you go slowly, the crêpes won’t tear). Divide the peppers evenly, arranging them on top of the potatoes. Divide the shrimp evenly, arranging them on top of the peppers. Roll each crêpe into a fat cylinder, and arrange the crêpes seam-side down in a single layer in the prepared baking dish. They should be snugged in tightly together. Sprinkle the crêpes with the Parmigiano and bake until the cheese is browned and the crêpes are heated through, 10 to 15 minutes. Serve right away with the green beans.
ROASTED GREEN BEANS
Serves 3 to 4 as a side dish
10 oz/280 g trimmed green beans
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Large pinch of finely grated lemon zest (optional)
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 450°F/230°C/gas 8.
In a large bowl, toss the green beans with the olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. The grated lemon zest is a nice addition, too, if you like.
Spread out the beans on a large rimmed baking sheet and roast in the oven, stirring occasionally, until tender and lightly browned, 15 to 25 minutes, depending on the size and tenderness of your beans. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.
