Shrimp Luciano

I was first introduced to Don Peppe's in Ozone Park, Queens onJonny Lennon's birthday. It's an old school joint that's been around since 1968, which has minimal decor - just horse jockey jerseys and a massive menu on the wall. After that it became tradition to stop by before or after a flight out of JFK, which was right around the corner.

Typically, as you walk in, the host - or one of the owners or a cousin of an owner or some combination of the three, is seated in front of a 70" flat screen tv watching the Yankee's game from about 6 inches away, next the coat check and immediately reprimands me for wearing a hat inside with a point, whistle and flip of his finger. Bright fluorescent lights light up the room full of large tables that mostly seat 8-10 people.

Everything is family style, and they look at you sideways if your party is less than 5 people with large appetites. So of course, ironically, I first discovered this particular dish - Shrimp Luciano - on a date after a round of baked clams and a bottle of nameless chilled red house wine. Needless to say, there was plenty of leftovers, and we were not upset about it.

The Luciano sauce is a shallot, butter, white wine sauce with just a hint of tomato. After that meal, i set outto learn this dish. After much trial and error this is my rendition I put together. I was later told by a relative of the Don Peppe family the trick was the type of white wine they used - but he wouldn't tell me which one that was, it's the family secret.