Cold Poached Shrimp With Marjoram Pesto Recipes

POACHED SHRIMP WITH BAY LEAVES AND LEMON

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Place the potato inside to bake for 1 hour.
• Though these shrimp are served in the shell, run a small, sharp knife down the length of the shrimp to devein them. In a large saucepan, combine the water, lemon, parsley, peppercorns, bay leaves, salt, and hot sauce. Stir to blend and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat and allow the liquid to cool for a few minutes. Add the shrimp and allow them to sit in the liquid, off the heat, until they are cooked in the middle, 3 to 5 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove the shrimp and drain them on a kitchen towel. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
• When the potato is tender (check by piercing with the tip of a knife), shut the oven off, remove the potato, and place it on a flat surface. Sprinkle the curry powder in a thin layer in an oven proof skillet and toast it in the oven (with the door open) until you smell the aroma of the curry, 2 minutes. Remove and set aside to cool. Split the potato in half lengthwise and scoop out the flesh. Transfer the flesh to a blender and add the warm water, egg yolks, mustard, and lemon juice. Pulse to blend. Add the curry powder and a splash of vinegar, if desired. With the blender running, pour a steady stream of the olive oil through the top, start with 1/2 cup and then taste. If needed, add more olive oil. Serve the sauce in a bowl on the side with the shrimp.

COLD POACHED SHRIMP

Steps:

• Put the shrimp in a saucepan with water to cover and a large pinch of salt. Bring to a boil and turn off the heat; let the shrimp cool in the water for about 5 minutes, then rinse in cold water until cool. Peel and devein if you like. Serve with sauce or chill until ready to serve.
• Almost all Shrimp are frozen before sale. So unless you're in a hurry, you might as well buy them frozen and defrost them yourself; this will guarantee you that they are defrosted just before you cook them, therefore retaining peak quality.
• There are no universal standards for shrimp size; large and medium don't mean much. Therefore, it pays to learn to judge shrimp size by the number per pound, as retailers do. Shrimp labeled 16/20, for example, contain sixteen to twenty per pound; those labeled U-20 require fewer (under) twenty to make a pound. Shrimp from fifteen to about thirty per pound usually give the best combination of flavor, ease (peeling tiny shrimp is a nuisance), and value (really big shrimp usually cost more than $15 a pound).
• On deveining: I don't. You can, if you like, but it's a thankless task, and there isn't one person in a hundred who could blind-taste the difference between shrimp that have and have not been deveined.

OLIVE-OIL-POACHED SHRIMP WITH WINTER PISTOU

Steps:

• For pistou:
• Bring large saucepan of water to boil. Add basil leaves and simmer 15 seconds. Using strainer or slotted spoon, transfer basil directly to blender. Add 1 teaspoon coarse salt to water in same saucepan and bring to boil. Add carrots and cook 5 minutes. Add broccoli and cauliflower, and cook until all vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes longer. Drain. Using slotted spoon, transfer vegetables to bowl of ice water and let stand until cold. Drain well. Add vegetables, vegetable stock, cranberry beans, parsley, and 1/4 cup oil to basil in blender. Puree until smooth, occasionally scraping down sides of blender with rubber spatula. Transfer pistou to medium bowl, and season to taste with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD: Pistou can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Rewarm in microwave before serving.
• For shrimp:
• Pour 3 cups olive oil into heavy large saucepan, and add thyme sprigs. Attach deep-fry thermometer to side of saucepan and heat oil over medium heat until thermometer registers between 165°F and 180°F. Sprinkle shrimp with salt and pepper. Add shrimp to hot oil and poach just until shrimp are opaque in center, adjusting heat to maintain temperature between 165°F and 180°F, about 8 minutes. Transfer shrimp to paper towels to drain.
• Divide warm pistou among 4 or 6 plates. Top pistou with poached shrimp and serve.

COLD POACHED SHRIMP WITH MARJORAM PESTO

Steps:

• Place shrimp in a saucepan with water to cover and a large pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, and turn off the heat; let shrimp sit in the water about 5 minutes, then rinse in cold water until cool. Peel (and devein if you like), then arrange on a platter.
• Combine marjoram and garlic in a blender or small food processor. Process until finely minced, scraping down sides with a rubber spatula once or twice if necessary. Add vinegar and most of the oil, and process until smooth.
• Add capers and anchovies, and pulse the machine on and off a few times so that the capers and anchovies are minced but not pureed.
• Stir in remaining oil, along with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with cold shrimp.