Slow Shrimp with Marinated Peppers

["Recipe provided by Ashley Christensen<\/a>,\u00a0Chef Proprietor at AC Restaurants<\/a> in North Carolina. Recipe photo courtesy\u00a0Johnny Autry.","Recipe provided by Ashley Christensen<\/a>,\u00a0Chef Proprietor at AC Restaurants<\/a> in North Carolina. Recipe photo courtesy\u00a0Johnny Autry.","Recipe provided by Ashley Christensen<\/a>,\u00a0Chef Proprietor at AC Restaurants<\/a> in North Carolina. Recipe photo courtesy\u00a0Johnny Autry.","Recipe provided by Ashley Christensen<\/a>,\u00a0Chef Proprietor at AC Restaurants<\/a> in North Carolina. Recipe photo courtesy\u00a0Johnny Autry."]

Ingredients

½ cup kosher salt 2 cups ice 1½ pounds shrimp, deveined, shells and tails removed 4 tablespoons butter, cold, cut into cubes 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil ½ cup to ¾ cup drained marinated peppers (recipe follows) Juice of ½ lemon Black peppercorn in a pepper mill 1½ pounds red bell peppers (about 3 large) Sea salt 1 cup olive oil 1 bay leaf 12 medium thyme sprigs 3 garlic cloves Peel of 1 lemon, cut into strips with a Y peeler

Instructions

For the shrimp:

Mix the kosher salt, ice and 4 cups water in a large bowl. Add the shrimp and let sit for 15 minutes. Drain the shrimp at pat dry.
Place in cold pan with cold butter and olive oil. Place the pan over medium heat, and start stirring, slowly rolling the shrimp and butter around the plan.
Keep stirring constantly; you want to fold the shrimp over the butter in a slow continuous motion. (The shrimp will cook at around the same speed that the butter melts).
Cook until the shrimp are pink throughout and the butter has completely melted into a thick rich sauce, about 8 to 9 minutes.
Fold in the peppers and cook for a minute until warm throughout.
Stir in the lemon juice and 2 cranks of the pepper mill. Serve.

For the marinated peppers:

Roast the peppers: Place the peppers on a high gas flame to char their skin. Use metal tongs to safely rotate the peppers, being sure to char the entire surface of the pepper. My final step in this process is to turn the pepper upside down (balancing it on the grate of the burner), so that the flame can reach the curvy part of the pepper that surrounds the stem. This insures the best yield. (If you don’t have a gas range, roast the peppers under an oven broiler set on high, being sure to open the oven and rotate the peppers using metal tongs.)
Transfer the peppers to a metal bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let sit for 15 minutes. Use a dish towel to gently rub off the skin of the peppers; avoid running them under water, as this will wash away some of the flavor.
Tear the peppers in half and remove the stem and seeds. Lay the peppers flat and cut in half horizontally. Then slice each piece of pepper vertically into ¼-inch thick pieces to that you have batons measuring roughly 2-by-1/4-inch. Place in a medium bowl and season with ½ teaspoon of salt, tossing to distribute.
In a small saucepan, combine the oil, bay, thyme and garlic and lemon peels. Set over medium heat; the mixture will begin to slowly bubble.
Once it begins bubbling, cook for 4 to 5 minutes more, then remove from the heat.
Pour over the peppers. Let marinate at least 6 hours (preferably a day) before using.
Pick out the thyme, garlic, bay and lemon peel before using.