Shrimp Stew and The Lost Kitchen

The Lost Kitchen, a TV show on the Magnolia Network, features Erin French, who returned to her hometown in Maine at the age of 23, after a post-high school “escape” and a plan for medical school. As things didn’t go as planned, she returned and opened a restaurant called The Lost Kitchen in the town’s restored 1834 grist mill.

Part of the reason the kitchen is “lost” is that the restaurant itself is very hard to find in the backwoods of Maine. It’s also one of the hardest restaurant reservations to secure; a postcard must be mailed to the restaurant and reservations are made by a lottery system. The Lost Kitchen is open May to October.

Although completely self-taught, Ms. French honed her cooking skills from a young age at her father’s diner. That’s where her love of food and cooking began. Her first cookbook is called The Lost Kitchen.

Chip and Joanna Gaines from the Magnolia Network chose to feature Erin French in a tv show, of the same name, because they admire people who have “stories,” who’ve dealt with roadblocks. Ms. French was certainly not handed anything, and if nothing else she should be highly admired for her resourcefulness and determination. Because of quite a tumultuous period in her life, she also wrote a memoir, called Finding Freedom. Let’s just say her trajectory towards success was not straight, given a bad marriage, a child at a young age, a stint in rehab, the pandemic…. You name it.

What strikes me the most with every episode I watch, is how innovative Erin French is. She’s innovative in her creative cuisine, which she claims is not fancy, but it showcases everything grown and harvested in Maine. Her presentations of her multi course meals look fancy with the addition of local flowers and herbs.

Ms. French has also been innovative in her career. I can’t tell the whole story of what’s she’s done, but she had to get creative. When the pandemic hit and she couldn’t serve diners inside, she started a farmer’s market, allowing local farmers to sell to locals. She then switched to an outside dining venue at the mill for paying guests, although inconvenient from a cooking and serving standpoint.

Fortunately, now the dining at The Lost Kitchen is back to normal. Ms. French has proven herself as a success story, and basically lives her dream. Plus she has a new cookbook publishing soon.

This cookbook is broken up by seasons, which I love. I decided to make her shrimp stew first. Part way through making this recipe, I was second guessing my excitement for this dish. But just wait! It is magnificent.

Shrimp Stew with Toasted Fennel, Lemon & Chives
Printable recipe below

1 tablespoon fennel seed, I included a few white peppercorns
2 cups heavy cream
2 cups whole milk
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
4 shallots, sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 pound shelled Maine shrimp
Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons fresh chives

In a small skillet over medium-high heat, toast the fennel seeds, tossing frequently, until they become aromatic, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside to cool.

Combine the cream, milk, and butter in a medium saucepan and bring just to a boil over medium heat. Add the fennel seeds, turn off the heat, and cover the pan. Let the seeds steep for 15 to 20 minutes, then strain to remove the seeds.

Meanwhile, heat the shallots in a medium skillet with the olive oil and a pinch each of salt and pepper over low heat until soft and deeply browned, about 20 minutes.

Add the caramelized shallots to the fennel-infused cream and bring to a simmer. Turn off the heat.

Add the shrimp and lemon zest and juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste, sprinkle with chives, and serve.

The stew needed a little more salt, but other than that, the flavors were perfect.

I wouldn’t have minded more shrimp, either.

One thing I learned from one of Erin’s shows is how she loves to mix bone marrow and butter. She calls it marrow butter, and it is fabulous. I did about a 50-50 mixture.