The chicks are now a few weeks old and growing some serious feathers. I’ve made their brood box bigger so they can run and jump and flap their wings. I supplement their medicated chick starter crumbles with chopped up parsley and spinach and crushed hard boiled egg – they love the yoke in particular. One of them has developed a scissor beak and I’m not sure she’ll make it. When chicks hatch out of the egg they protect their head and beak with one wing over it as they claw/peck their way through – When they fail to do that they can develop an injury to the beak that becomes more evident as they mature – which is what’s happening with Cersei. Some live with the condition, some don’t. She is the one on the bottom left corner – if you look closely at her beak, you’ll see the misalignment.
Meanwhile.. out at the coop – the girls are getting out to free range more often now that the weather has improved, and they’re loving it. Ruby is my friendliest hen…
After…..
Ingredients
For the breadcrumbs
- 3 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 Tbs. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1 Tbs. chopped fresh thyme
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1-1/2 cups coarse day-old breadcrumbs
For the artichokes and shrimp
- Kosher salt
- 6 large artichokes, trimmed down to bottoms
- 3/4 lb. medium (51 to 60 per lb.) shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1-1/2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/8 tsp. cayenne
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 6 Tbs. unsalted butter
- 3 Tbs. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
Preparation
Make the breadcrumbs
- Heat the oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the parsley, thyme, and garlic. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the breadcrumbs and increase the heat to medium high. Cook, stirring, until the breadcrumbs are golden-brown and crisp, about 5 minutes. Immediately transfer to a bowl lined with paper towels. (The crumbs may be made up to 1 day ahead; cool and store in an airtight container at room temperature.)
Prepare the artichokes and shrimp
- Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 400°F.In a 3- to 4-quart saucepan, bring 4 cups of water to a boil over high heat. Add 2 Tbs. salt, drop the artichokes in, and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from the water with a slotted spoon. Spread out on a clean cloth to cool and dry.Heat a 10- to 11-inch cast-iron skillet over high heat. In a large bowl, toss the shrimp with 1 Tbs. of the olive oil, the cayenne, a pinch of salt, and a few grinds of pepper. Working in two batches, sear the shrimp in the hot pan, turning once, until lightly browned on the edges and opaque throughout, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer each batch of shrimp to a medium bowl.In a small saucepan, gently melt the butter over low heat. When the butter is just starting to foam, add 2 Tbs. of the chopped parsley.Let the parsley sizzle in the butter for 1 or 2 minutes and then whisk in the lemon juice. Add the butter mixture to the bowl with the shrimp and toss.Oil an 8×10-inch baking dish with the remaining 1/2 Tbs. oil and arrange the artichoke bottoms stem side down in the dish. Season with salt and pepper. Pile 5 to 6 shrimp in the center of each artichoke bottom, including some but not all of the butter. Top with the breadcrumbs and drizzle the remaining butter and the shrimp juices over the top. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 Tbs. parsley and bake until heated through, about 10 minutes. Serve immediately.
