Shrimp with green banana cocktail sauce

Pickle
Daikon, peeled, very thinly sliced	1 pound
Mirin cooking wine	½ cup
Vinegar, rice, unseasoned	½ cup
Peppercorns, Sichuan	5
Star anise	2
Sugar	1 tablespoon
Salt, kosher	2 teaspoons
Sauce
Banana, green, peeled, cut into ½-inch pieces	1
Ketchup	1 cup
Chili sauce, sweet	½ cup
Horseradish, prepared	3 tablespoons
Lemon juice	2 tablespoons
Shoyu or other soy sauce	1 tablespoon
Shrimp
Garlic	4 cloves
Lemongrass, cut into 2-inch pieces	2 stalks
Jalapeño, halved lengthwise	1
Bay leaf	1
Kaffir lime leaf	1
Salt, kosher	3 tablespoons
Allspice, whole	¼ teaspoon
Coriander seeds	¼ teaspoon
Peppercorns, black	¼ teaspoon
Cinnamon	1 stick
Water	8 cups
Shrimp, extra jumbo	2 pounds

Pickle

1. Place the daikon in a heatproof bowl. 
2. In a medium saucepan, bring the mirin, rice vinegar, peppercorns, anise, sugar, and salt to a simmer, stirring to dissolve the sugar. 
3. Pour the hot brine over the daikon, let cool slightly, then cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. 

Sauce

1. In a small saucepan, combine the banana, ketchup, chili sauce, horseradish, juice, and soy sauce, and cook over moderately low heat until thickened, about 30 minutes; let cool slightly. 
2. Transfer to a blender, and puree until smooth. 
3. Transfer to a small bowl, cover, and refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour. 

Shrimp

1. Prepare an ice bath. 
2. In a large saucepan, combine the garlic, lemongrass, jalapeño, bay leaf, kaffir leaf, salt, and spices with the water, and bring to a boil. 
3. Reduce the heat to moderately low, add the shrimp, and simmer until just cooked through, about 7 minutes. 
4. Drain and transfer the shrimp to the ice bath; let cool completely. 
5. Drain, peel and devein the shrimp, leaving the tail end intact; discard the shells and aromatics. 

Serve the shrimp with the drained pickled daikon, cocktail sauce, shrimp chips, and fresh basil.

Recipe from Food&Wine Magazine, March 2017.

Curried beef stew

Curry
Ancho chiles, dried, stemmed, seeded	2
Salt, kosher	½ teaspoon
Lemongrass stalk, bottom 4-inches only, tough outer layer removed, cut into 1-inch pieces	1
Ginger, peeled, sliced	2 tablespoons
Turmeric, peeled, sliced	2 tablespoons
Shallots, chopped	½ cup
Garlic, halved	½ cup
Stew
Fish sauce	1 tablespoon
Beef chuck, trimmed, cut into 1 ½-inch cubes	2 pounds
Soy sauce, light	3 tablespoons
African birds eye chiles	2 tablespoons
Broth, beef, low-sodium	9 cups
Carrots, peeled, halved lengthwise, cut crosswise into ¼-inch-thick half-moons	1 cup
Shallots, halved	1 cup
Kaffir lime leaves	6
Cilantro, chopped
Basil, thinly sliced

1. In a mortar, pound the chiles and salt with a pestle until pulverized, about 5 minutes. 
2. Add curry ingredients one by one in order listed, fully pulverizing each before adding the next. 
3. In a pot over medium heat, combine the curry paste, fish sauce, beef, soy sauce, and chiles. 
4. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. 
5. Add the broth, and bring to a boil. 
6. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, stir occasionally, until the beef is tender but not falling apart, about 2 to 2 ½ hours. 
7. Stir in the shallots, carrots, and kaffir leaves. 
8. Simmer until the vegetables are just tender, about 10 minutes. 
9. If the broth is too salty, add water a few tablespoons at a time. 
10. Garnish with cilantro and basil. 

Recipe adapted from Bon Appétit.