Cold Poached Shrimp Food

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.

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.

POACHED SHRIMP WITH BAY LEAVES AND LEMON

Steps:

• Combine first 7 ingredients in a Dutch oven (through carrot); bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 15 minutes. Add shrimp; cook 2-3 minutes, until they are pink and fully cooked.
• Drain shrimp and place in a shallow dish.
• Combine lemon rind and remaining ingredients. Add to warm shrimp; toss well. Cover and chill until ready to serve, at least 3 hours.

PLATTER OF SHRIMP WITH GARLICKY CUBAN MOJO (FUENTE DE CAMARONES AL AJILLO)

Steps:

• Prepare the mojo
• Make a wet garlic paste by mashing the garlic cloves with salt in a mortar and pestle. If you do not have one, you can use a cup and the back of a wooden spoon; otherwise, simply sprinkle the garlic with the salt and use your knife to chop it very finely into a paste.
• Place the garlic paste in a small bowl and pour the lime juice and orange juice over it. Allow the mixture to sit for 20 minutes.
• Place the olive oil in a small saucepan and set it over medium-high heat. (This can be done on your grill or on your stove.) When small bubbles begin to rise to the surface of the oil, carefully add the garlic and citrus mixture to the pan (the oil will sizzle a bit, so be careful that it does not splatter on you). Give the mixture a quick stir and allow to cook over medium-high heat for 1 minute before removing from the heat. Set aside.
• Season and grill the shrimp
• Place the shrimp in a large mixing bowl and drizzle the vegetable oil over them. Liberally season with salt and pepper and toss well. It's best to use your hands for this, as you want to make sure the oil and seasonings get inside the slits you made in the shrimp.
• Heat your grill to high (550°F) and close the lid. Wait at least 15 minutes before lowering the heat to medium-high (450°F) and continuing. Oil the grill grates with a vegetable oil-soaked paper towel held with a long pair of tongs.
• It is important to properly place the shrimp on the grill so that they cook quickly and evenly. Again, it is best to use your hands for this. Holding the shrimp by its tail, place the butterflied shrimp on the grill one by one, slit side down. Curl the tail down toward the head of the shrimp. Close the lid and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the flesh of the shrimp has turned white and is no longer translucent. You will not need to turn the shrimp over.
• Serve the shrimp and mojo
• Mound the grilled shrimp on a large platter and garnish with lime wedges. Serve with the garlicky mojo for your guests to use as a dipping sauce.