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Dream: Dishes Dreamt

This is a dish I imagined and saw in a dream. I saw the layers of colour and couldn't believe how gorgeous it all was. The white rice with the pink salmon coloured shrimp which swim in a gorgeous yellow sauce that has slices of avocado which hold two shades of exquisite green. The colours woke me up but it was the ingredients which I was sure would esthetically work. I had to close my eyes to stay in dream state to remember the ingredients though.

Gather together what you need:

1 Large Spanish onion
Uncooked White or Basmati rice (enough for 4)
1 Avocado
1 Chicken bouillon cube (Better Than Bouillon is better)
20 fresh uncooked shrimp (as large as you can afford)
A thickening agent such as cornstarch
Water
Black pepper (Black was seen in the dream but white pepper works better)

A saucepan for the rice and a frying pan for everything else. I did not use cast iron in the dream.

Slice the onion from pole to pole. Slice the onion again so that you are left with the natural bands - layers resulting in 1/4 inch thick pieces. The onion in this dish is meant to be seen when you are done and not merely an ingredient that fades to the background.

Cook your rice. If it's done never worry everything else is done quickly.

In your large frying pan add water and toss in the onions and the chicken bouillon cube which you have broken into pieces. Your flame is on low. Simmer for about two minutes. Add your shrimp laying them flat. After cooking for three minutes on one side turn the shrimp over and at the same time add your avocado which you have already cut in half, removed the pit, and sliced from pole to pole allowing for approximately five slices from each half. Have mixed your cornstarch slurry and add it now. If it gets too thick add more water. The time from shrimp turning to cornstarch being added should be about one minutes or less. Serve this over your rice. It should be visually stunning, orally sensual and incredibly tasty. The white pepper is for a kick and can be on the table or added when the shrimp are cooking. You don't need to stir anything you just want to make sure the onions stay chunky, the shrimp aren't overcooked and the avocados are intact. The avocados don't even have to be cooked in the pan - instead placing them decoratively around the rice.

I forgot. I suggest that you listen to this when you cook. It goes with the dream and I am sure my dream was inspired by this film. O Que Sera sung by Simone from the film Doña Flor and Her Two Husbands.











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