Shrimp in Purgatory

Name: Shrimp in Purgatory
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons olive oil; 1 yellow or red onion, minced; Kosher salt and black pepper; 8 garlic cloves, minced; 1 teaspoon dried oregano; 1/2 to 1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes, plus more for serving; 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds; 2 tablespoons minced jarred Calabrian chiles or minced jarred cherry peppers, stems removed, or cherry pepper relish; 8 ounces roasted red peppers, drained and chopped (about 1 cup); 1 (14-ounce) can whole or crushed tomatoes; 1 to 1 1/2 pounds peeled, deveined shrimp; 2 scallions, thinly sliced; 1 tablespoon capers, drained; 1/2 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for serving

By Sarah DiGregorio

Published May 25, 2021

Shrimp in Purgatory — Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Rebecca Jurkevich.

Total Time: 25 minutes
Rating: 4(1,638)
Comments: Read comments

This one-skillet shrimp dish is inspired by the bright flavors of eggs in purgatory, the classic Southern Italian dish in which eggs simmer in a spicy tomato sauce. The exact origins of the name are uncertain, but many say the sauce is meant to represent purgatory, and the eggs, souls. Here, shrimp stand in for the eggs, and the tomato sauce is rich and tangy, with roasted red peppers and capers. You can use frozen shrimp; just defrost them first. Serve the shrimp in shallow bowls, with crusty bread, or over orzo, couscous or polenta. Find a slow cooker version of this dish here.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

3tablespoons olive oil
1yellow or red onion, minced
Kosher salt and black pepper
8garlic cloves, minced
1teaspoon dried oregano
½ to 1teaspoon red-pepper flakes, plus more for serving
½teaspoon fennel seeds
2tablespoons minced jarred Calabrian chiles or minced jarred cherry peppers, stems removed, or cherry pepper relish
8ounces roasted red peppers, drained and chopped (about 1 cup)
1(14-ounce) can whole or crushed tomatoes
1 to 1½pounds peeled, deveined shrimp
2scallions, thinly sliced
1tablespoon capers, drained
½cup grated Parmesan, plus more for serving

Ingredient Substitution Guide

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Preparation

Step 1
Warm the olive oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high. Add the onion, season generously with salt, and cook, stirring, until the onion is translucent, soft and starting to turn golden, 7 or 8 minutes. If necessary, decrease the heat to medium to prevent scorching.
Step 2
Add the garlic and cook until fragrant and softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in the oregano, red-pepper flakes and fennel seeds, then the Calabrian chiles, roasted red peppers and tomatoes. (Crush the tomatoes by hand, if using whole.) Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer, adjust the heat to maintain a simmer, and cook for about 5 minutes to slightly reduce the sauce and blend the flavors.
Step 3
Add the shrimp, scallions and capers, and cook until the shrimp are curled, pink and opaque, 3 to 7 minutes, depending on size and quantity. Turn off the heat and taste the sauce. Add more red-pepper flakes, salt and pepper, if you like. Sprinkle the cheese over the top and serve, passing more Parmesan and red-pepper flakes at the table.

Ratings

4 out of 5

1,638 user ratings

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Comments

Tim4 years ago

Really, Susan, the point of the dish is the chiles, so why should you "caution" us? And if you don't think the oregano, scallions and capers add flavor, leave them out and see what you get. Substitute chicken for shrimp? O.k. but, is that about cost or taste, or making an entirely different dish?

Max Alexander, Rome, Contestant MasterChef Italia 2020-20213 years ago

Calabrian peppers are just small hot red peppers--not as small or hot as Thai bird chiles, about 1.5 to 2 inches long. Just buy any fresh hot red varieties. Likewise use fresh sweet red peppers, frying them with the onions as they do in Calabria. Italians would never use this much garlic--maybe three whole cloves which would then be removed before serving. Red pepper flakes are served at table, not added during cooking. Only Calabrians would add more. Cheese with shrimp? A felony here.

Top 104 years ago

One of the best recipes from the Times I have ever had..I followed recipe best I could..only heard of Calibrian peppers from Bobby Flay..couldn't find them went with cherry peppers..this has serious heat..served over Jasimine Rice. This is Crazy..Crazy good..!!!!

Karen in SF1 month ago

I cooked this exactly as written the first time. I thought the sauce was absolutely delicious, but the shrimp overcooked and felt lost. The second time, I committed the cardinal sin of using boneless chicken thighs instead of shrimp. Browned them first, proceeded with the recipe, then added them back in at the end to finish cooking. One can cook chicken thighs a long time and they're still tasty, so I could cook the sauce down as much as I liked. It also allowed me to use parm with impunity :-D

JMW2 months ago

I thought this was a great dish! Loved the combination of peppers and tomatoes and enough heat to take it up a level. Served it over orzo and will make it again!

jchristineb2 months ago

My family loves this dish. It is great over orzo.

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