Spiced Shrimp with Broilered Polenta (New Year's Eve)

Spiced shrimp with broiled polenta is the kind of small-plate starter that looks restaurant-fancy but comes together in about half an hour. A tube of precooked polenta sliced into rounds broils on a sheet pan until golden and crisp at the edges, soft and creamy within. A thin slice of prosciutto goes under the broiler alongside just long enough to shatter into salty, crispy shards.

While the polenta broils, the shrimp get their treatment. Peeled, deveined, and sprinkled with fresh black pepper, they hit a hot pan with softened onion, then swim briefly in chicken broth (or clam juice, if you’ve got it) spiked with fresh lemon juice and chopped sage. A slurry of cornstarch pulls the pan sauce into something silky that clings to each shrimp instead of running off the plate.

Each polenta round gets a spoon of saucy shrimp, crumbled prosciutto on top, and lands on the plate as a two-bite appetizer or four-to-a-plate main.

Pro Tips

• Pat shrimp completely dry before seasoning. Wet shrimp steam instead of sear, and you lose the quick browning that gives the dish flavor.
• Pull the shrimp from the pan once they just turn opaque, even if the sauce isn’t done. They finish cooking in the residual heat, and overcooked shrimp go rubbery fast.
• Broil polenta on the second rack from the top, not the closest. Too-close contact burns the outside before the interior heats through.

Variations

• Swap prosciutto for crispy pancetta or crumbled cooked bacon for a different salty-fat note.
• Use dry white wine in place of half the broth for a brighter, more acidic pan sauce.
• Add a pinch of red chili flakes to the shrimp for a spicier version.