Slow Cooker Shrimp in Purgatory

Name: Slow Cooker Shrimp in Purgatory
Total time: 5 h 30 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons olive oil; 1 yellow or red onion, minced; 8 ounces roasted red peppers, drained and chopped (about 1 cup); 2 tablespoons minced jarred Calabrian chiles or minced jarred cherry peppers, stems removed, or cherry pepper relish; 8 garlic cloves, minced; 1 teaspoon dried oregano; 1/2 to 1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes, plus more as needed; 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds; 1 (14-ounce) can whole or crushed tomatoes; Kosher salt and black pepper; 1 to 1 1/2 pounds peeled, deveined shrimp; 1 tablespoon capers, drained; 2 scallions, thinly sliced; 1/2 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for serving

By Sarah DiGregorio

Published May 25, 2021

Slow Cooker Shrimp in Purgatory — Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Rebecca Jurkevich.

Total Time: 5½ hours
Rating: 4(807)
Comments: Read comments

This recipe is inspired by eggs in purgatory, a Southern Italian dish in which eggs simmer in a spicy tomato sauce. Shrimp aren’t commonly thought of as slow cooker material, but here, the sauce simmers for several hours, and the quick-cooking shrimp is dropped in just a bit before you want to eat. (You can use frozen shrimp; just thaw them first.) Cooking the sauce on high allows the onion and garlic to tenderize and melt into the sauce. The tomatoes and roasted peppers caramelize slightly as they simmer, so when fully cooked, the sauce should be a shade darker than when you started. The sauce holds well on the warm setting. Serve the shrimp in shallow bowls on its own, or over orzo, couscous or polenta and with crusty bread. Find a skillet version of this dish here.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

3tablespoons olive oil
1yellow or red onion, minced
8ounces roasted red peppers, drained and chopped (about 1 cup)
2tablespoons minced jarred Calabrian chiles or minced jarred cherry peppers, stems removed, or cherry pepper relish
8garlic cloves, minced
1teaspoon dried oregano
½ to 1teaspoon red-pepper flakes, plus more as needed
½teaspoon fennel seeds
1(14-ounce) can whole or crushed tomatoes
Kosher salt and black pepper
1 to 1½pounds peeled, deveined shrimp
1tablespoon capers, drained
2scallions, thinly sliced
½cup grated Parmesan, plus more for serving

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

Step 1
In a 6- to 8-quart slow cooker, combine the oil, onion, roasted red peppers, Calabrian chiles, garlic, oregano, red-pepper flakes, fennel seeds and tomatoes. (Crush the tomatoes by hand if using whole.) Season with ½ teaspoon salt and several generous grinds of black pepper. Stir well to combine, then cover and cook on high for 5 hours. (The sauce holds well on warm for up to an additional 3 hours.)
Step 2
Increase the heat to high if it has switched to warm. Stir in the shrimp, capers and scallions. Cover and cook until the shrimp are curled and opaque, 15 to 20 minutes, depending on size and quantity. Turn off the heat and taste the sauce. Add more red-pepper flakes and salt and pepper, if you like. Sprinkle the cheese over the top and serve, passing more Parmesan and red-pepper flakes at the table.

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Ratings

4 out of 5

807 user ratings

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Comments

Maggie's brother3 years ago

Question: I don't eat shellfish, so I wonder if this would work well with a firm fish like cod, swordfish, or tilapia added at the end instead of shrimp? the sauce and method sound too good to miss out on.

HD3 years ago

I love the shrimp in here and will make this. (I love slow cooker cooking.) I was wondering, however, about little meatballs dropped in the sauce and how good that might be. A mix of veal, pork, and beef . . . Thoughts?

Lynn3 years ago

My bad...I wanted to make this for dinner tonight...and didn't carefully read the recipe ahead of time. So, I ignored the directions for using the slow cooker for 5 hours and simply sautéed the onion and garlic and then threw the rest of the ingredients (except shrimp, capers and scallions) and simmered for an hour and it was just terrific. We think this dish, plus a green salad and crusty bread is totally company-worthy.

Julie3 weeks ago

I usually make the skillet version of this and really love it. I’m slightly spice averse so only use the canned peppers and don’t add red pepper flakes - very tasty for those who like just a little heat. Today I made the slow cooker version for the first time in an attempt to streamline a weeknight dinner, but got distracted around hour 5 and it burned. I was able to salvage most of it, but be forewarned about letting it go too long on high.

sharon5 months ago

Very good. Super easy. Didn’t add cheese. Feta would be better than parm. Orzo and a wee bit of chicken broth. Def would make again. Otherwise followed slow cooker recipe

deborah6 months ago

Super easy and delicious. We are in the middle of a kitchen renovation and have no oven, microwave, or any other way to cook anything except our slow cooker! This was excellent. I served it over polenta from Trader Joe’s (toasted in our toaster oven). Would definitely make it again and probably serve it with pasta.

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