Poached Shrimp With Honeydew Radishes Jicama And Scallions Recipes

POACHED SHRIMP WITH HONEYDEW, RADISHES, JICAMA, AND SCALLIONS

Steps:

• Finely grate enough ginger to yield 1/2 teaspoon; set aside. Cut remaining ginger into 1/4-inch slices. Bring 5 cups water, sliced ginger, peppercorns, and 3 tablespoons lemon juice to a boil, covered. Reduce heat to low, and add shrimp. Cover, and poach until just cooked through, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes (do not let liquid boil). Drain, discard ginger and peppercorns, and place shrimp in a bowl of ice water for 5 minutes. Drain shrimp; refrigerate at least 15 minutes and up to 1 day. Peel, devein, and cut shrimp in half horizontally.
• Whisk together remaining 2 tablespoons lemon juice, the grated ginger, fish sauce, and oil in a large bowl. Add shrimp, melon, radishes, and half the scallions, and toss well. Add jicama, and gently toss. Divide between 2 plates, season generously with coarsely ground pepper, and garnish with remaining scallions.

HOW TO POACH SHRIMP

Steps:

• Fill a 3 quart saucepan 3/4 full of water.
• Add salt. Squeeze the juice of the lemon into the pot and add the peel and flesh once squeezed. Add the peppercorns and parsley if using.
• Bring the pot to a rapid boil over high heat.
• Remove from the heat and let it stop boiling.
• Add the shrimp. Stir. Put the lid on the saucepan.Cover the pot. Let sit for 4-5 minutes, until shrimp are opaque and pink.
• Meanwhile, prepare an ice bath: In a large bowl put two cups of ice cubes and fill halfway with cold water.
• When shrimp are cooked, drain off the hot liquid and transfer shrimp (but not the aromatics) to the ice bath. Let them sit in there for a few minutes to fully cool off before draining.
• Serve as is or peel them first.

POACHED SHRIMP

Steps:

• Mix salt, carrots, celery, pinot grigio, bay leaves, and peppercorns in 2 quarts of water and bring to a simmer. Add the shrimp and just bring back to a boil. Once the water boils, cook for 60 seconds. Remove the shrimp immediately and lay out on a cookie sheet to cool to room temperature. Refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour. Peel shrimp just before serving and serve chilled.

POACHED SHRIMP

Steps:

• Bring water, lemon, and bay leaf to a boil, covered, in a medium saucepan. Add 1 tablespoon salt. Reduce heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes.
• Raise heat to high, and return water to a boil. Add shrimp; cook until bright pink and opaque, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Immediately transfer shrimp to a rimmed baking sheet using a slotted spoon; cover with ice, and let stand for 5 minutes.

POACHED SHRIMP

Steps:

• Fill a large pot with about a 1/2 gallon of water, add the salt and squeeze in the lemon juice; toss the halves in there too for extra flavor. Add the herbs and seafood seasoning. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and simmer for 5 minutes to infuse the water with the aromatics.
• Reduce heat to medium-low and add shrimp. Simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes or until the shrimp are bright pink and the tails curl. Using a slotted spoon, remove the shrimp from the poaching liquid and chill thoroughly before peeling. Serve with lemon wedges and Bloody Mary Cocktail Sauce as part of a raw shellfish bar.
• Combine the tomatoes, celery, and onion in a blender and puree to break the vegetables down. Add the remaining ingredients and puree until smooth. Chill before serving with a raw bar.

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.