Dombrés aux crevettes

Mix the dombré dough. Combine the flour, 4 g salt and 220 ml room-temperature water, kneading just until a firm, smooth dough forms. Use Mixing bowl. Allow 10 minutes. The dough is smooth, firm and no longer shows dry flour. A firm dough holds its shape during simmering. Use clean hands and a clean work surface.

Rest the dough. Cover the dough and rest it before shaping. Use Covered bowl. Work under room temperature conditions. Allow 20 minutes resting. The rested dough feels slightly more supple and rolls without cracking at the edges. Resting hydrates the flour and makes small balls easier to shape. Keep the covered dough away from raw shrimp and its utensils.

Shape equal dombrés. Pinch off and roll the dough into 8–10 g balls, about 2 cm across, keeping them in a single layer until the sauce is ready. Use Digital scale and tray. Allow 10 minutes. The dombrés are evenly sized, round and about 2 cm across. Even size gives the dumplings the same cooking time. Use a clean tray that has not held raw seafood.

Build the aromatic base. Heat the oil, then soften the onion and scallions; add the garlic, thyme and allspice for the final minute without browning the garlic. Use Wide 4-litre saucepan. Work at medium heat. Allow 6 minutes. The onion is translucent and tender, and the garlic smells fragrant without taking on dark colour. Gentle softening builds the aromatic base without bitterness. Keep raw shrimp refrigerated at 4 °C or below while the sauce starts.

Simmer the tomato sauce. Stir in the chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, 600 ml water, 10 g parsley, whole chilli, 3 g salt, black pepper and lime juice; bring to a steady simmer. Use Same saucepan. Work at medium then medium-low heat. Allow 5 minutes. The tomato paste is fully dispersed and the liquid is at a steady, not violent, simmer. A fluid sauce is needed because the flour dumplings absorb and release starch as they cook. Do not taste with a utensil that has touched raw shrimp.

Cook the dombrés through. Drop in the shaped dombrés one by one, stir gently to prevent sticking, and simmer uncovered until the centres are fully cooked. Use Same saucepan. Work at medium-low heat. Allow 15 minutes. A dombré cut through the centre is cooked and elastic with no dry or floury core, and the sauce has thickened enough to coat it lightly. The dumplings must cook before the shrimp goes in so the shellfish is not overcooked. Maintain a steady simmer and use a clean knife to check a dumpling centre.

Cook the shrimp last. Add the cold peeled shrimp and cook only until the thickest pieces reach 63 °C; fold in the reserved 5 g parsley after removing the pan from the heat. Use Same saucepan and food thermometer. Work at medium-low heat. Allow 4 minutes. Target 63 °C. The thickest shrimp reaches 63 °C and is pearly and opaque, while remaining springy rather than rubbery. Late addition keeps the shrimp tender while the sauce stays thick around the dombrés. Keep raw shrimp and its plate separate from the reserved parsley and all ready-to-eat utensils; wash hands and surfaces after raw-seafood contact.