Bay shrimp on Belgian endive

So a lot of people, like my husband, are not a huge fan of shrimp. But I love it. So I try to make it appeal to both Dustin and myself. The stuffed piquillo peppers with shrimp recipe I have on here, Dustin loves, because the shrimp are chopped up and the sauce helps the dish to taste "not so fishy" as he says. So with this recipe I tried chopping the shrimp, lessening the amount of salt and cutting the aioli sauce in half so it is not so strong.

This is not a recipe you eat a lot of. It is a more "fancy" (as Dustin says) appetizer and is simply made for one or two bites. I served a lot of this kind of recipe when I catered in northern California at wine tastings and I loved it.

This is an adaptation of the venerable San Francisco dish called crab Louis. Prep Time: 30 minutes. Notes: Leftover aioli keeps, refrigerated, for 3 days and is delicious on sandwiches.

Yield: Makes 10 to 12 servings (serving size: 2 to 3 leaves)

Ingredients

• 1 large egg
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt, plus more to taste
• 1 small clove garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 cup mild extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 to 3/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 pound cooked bay shrimp, rinsed and drained
• 4 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme
• 3 to 4 large heads red or green Belgian endive, or a combination
• Freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

1. Whirl egg, 1/2 tsp. salt, garlic, and mustard in a food processor until smooth. Add oil, drop by drop at first and then in a slow stream once mixture has begun to emulsify. Whirl until mixture is thick, then add red pepper flakes and lemon juice and pulse to combine. Chill aioli, covered with plastic wrap.

2. Mix shrimp with parsley, thyme, and salt to taste. Add just enough aioli to bind the shrimp (5 to 6 tbsp.); save leftover aioli for another use (see Notes).

3. Cut bases off endive and separate leaves (save small ones for salad). Arrange leaves on a platter and top each with a tablespoon of shrimp mixture and a grind of pepper. Serve immediately.