Lemony shrimp and bean stew

You are seriously lucky to know me. This recipe is so, so good and also absurdly quick. It is not my original (of course) but a thing I think that first appeared in the New York Times and then passed on via Instagram to me by the stylist Angie Smith. I mean, it was just on her account, we’re not actually friends alas.

Anyway, anyway. Lemony shrimp and bean stew, for 2 people.

2 large handfuls of whatever peeled and de-veined shrimp you can get your hands on, at room temperature

2 cloves garlic, peeled and grated

oil

paprika (any kind)

the zest of a lemon

1 tin cannellini beans

2 leeks

50 g butter, 2 tablespoons light olive oil

chicken stock, about a mugful

parsley

1 Put the prawns or shrimp in a bowl with the lemon zest, 1 tsp of paprika, garlic, a good pinch of salt and five turns of the pepper grinder. Go immediately to the next step or this can be left in the fridge until later.

2 Heat the butter and oil until hot and then put in the prawns, cook gently for 5 minutes so that the garlic doesn’t burn

3 remove these to a plate with a slotted spoon

4 Without rinsing the pan, put in here the chopped leeks and cook for about 8 minutes until soft. Then add the rinsed beans and the chicken stock and season.

5 Cook all this until it looks cooked and then add the prawns with any juices that have accumulated on the plate. Heat it all through for another 3 minutes or so and then scatter with parsley and serve.

For the original recipe and a picture, click here. I’m having trouble uploading photos to WordPress at the moment, which is why there’s a weird image of a plant on the front.