Shrimp, Mushrooms and Zucchini With Poblano Labneh Sauce and Corn Salad
Fire-blistered poblano chiles flavor the creamy sauce for simple poached shrimp and seared vegetables. The corn — boiled first to plump its kernels — is mixed with mint and lime juice to add an acidic crunch to the dish. Serve it with warm corn tortillas for making tacos.
Transfer the prepared poblanos, onion, garlic, water and salt to a blender. Purée until completely smooth. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat until the oil begins to shimmer. Add the poblano purée, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, to reduce the purée and meld the flavors, about 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and season with freshly ground pepper. Whisk in the labneh until well combined, then scrape the sauce into a bowl and keep warm; clean and dry the skillet.
While the sauce cooks, bring a medium saucepan full of water to a boil. Add the corn halves and cook until tender but still crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. Using tongs, remove the corn from the water and transfer to a cutting board. Let the corn cool to room temperature and reserve the pan of water.
Combine the mushrooms and zucchini in a medium bowl. Toss with the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Place the reserved skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and zucchini, and cook, turning every 2 to 3 minutes, until blistered and golden, about 7 minutes for the mushrooms, 10 minutes for the zucchini. Remove the skillet from the heat and reserve.
Bring the reserved pan of corn cooking water to a simmer over medium heat. Add a large pinch of salt to the water, then add the shrimp and cook, stirring occasionally, until just cooked through, about 3 minutes. Drain the shrimp, let cool briefly, then peel and devein.
Meanwhile, slice the corn kernels from the cob and transfer them to a small bowl. Add the mint and lime juice, season with salt and pepper, and toss to combine. Also, transfer the zucchini to a cutting board and cut each piece into 3 to 4 smaller pieces.
Divide the shrimp, zucchini and mushrooms among 4 serving bowls and spoon the poblano labneh sauce over the top. Garnish with some corn and mint salad and serve with warm tortillas.
When the peppers are cool enough to handle, remove most of the skin by rubbing it off with your fingers. Tear them open and remove stems and scrape most of the seeds and strings with your hands. Rinse the peppers under a stream of water to remove any remaining seeds. Shake off any excess water and slice the peppers into large strips (you don’t have to be precise as they will go into the blender). Transfer the peppers to an airtight container and refrigerate up to 5 days, or until ready to use.
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