Plantain and Coconut Soup with Shrimp, Tomato and Avocado Salad

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/3 cup small diced salt pork
• 1 cup small diced onion
• 1/2 cup small diced carrot
• 1/4 cup small diced celery
• 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 2 teaspoons curry powder
• 2 pounds yellow plantains with slightly green tips and some black spots, peeled and roughly chopped
• 2 quarts chicken stock
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon Essence, recipe follows
• 1/2 pound medium shrimp, peeled, deveined and diced
• 1/2 cup diced tomatoes
• 1/2 cup diced avocado
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves, plus sprigs for garnish
• 1 cup sour cream

Directions

Set a Dutch oven over medium heat and add the olive oil to the pan. Place the salt pork in the pan and render until crispy, about 6 to 8 minutes. Add the onions, carrots and celery and cook until the vegetables are tender and the onions are translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon of the garlic and the curry powder and saute until fragrant, 30 to 45 seconds. Add the plantains and stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the plantains are soft, about 45 minutes. Add the coconut milk, 1 teaspoon of the salt, and the pepper, and using an immersion blender, or in batches in a bar blender, puree the soup until smooth. Stir in the lime juice and keep warm until ready to serve.

Heat a 10-inch saute pan and, when hot add the butter. When the butter has melted add the remaining 2 teaspoons of garlic. Season the shrimp with the Essence and add them to the pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the shrimp turn pink, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes, avocado and cilantro to the pan and season with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Remove from the heat.

Serve the soup by placing 1 cup into each of 8 bowls. Garnish each bowl with 2 tablespoons of the shrimp and avocado mixture. Add 2 tablespoons of sour cream on top of the shrimp and a sprig of cilantro for the final garnish.

Emeril's ESSENCE Creole Seasoning (also referred to as Bayou Blast):

2 1/2 tablespoons paprika

2 tablespoons salt

2 tablespoons garlic powder

1 tablespoon black pepper

1 tablespoon onion powder

1 tablespoon cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly.

Yield: 2/3 cup

Recipe from "New New Orleans Cooking", by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch, published by William and Morrow, 1993.