Jacques Pépin's recipe for Shrimp Pane (pane means "breaded") is elegant, light, and crunchy – what a great dish for a party or a small gathering of friends. Whole shrimp are coated with a shrimp puree (using the lower tail segments of the shrimp + 3 whole shrimp, egg, garlic and parsley), breaded with fresh bread crumbs, and fried for 3 minutes on each side in oil and butter. It's served on a bed of peppery watercress dressed lightly with walnut oil and sherry vinegar. Make the shrimp before your guests arrive and keep in the fridge until you're ready to cook.
This past weekend, I served this with a first course of cold black bean soup with banana and a cookie dough raspberry tart.
