Sharing Potted Shrimp Food

SHARING POTTED SHRIMP

Steps:

• Melt the butter with the bay leaf in a pan or in a bowl in the microwave for 1 min. Add the shrimps, mace, a good pinch of cayenne pepper, the lemon juice and some seasoning. Mix everything together well.
• Tip the mixture into a shallow soufflé or gratin dish, or a jar, put the bay leaf on top and sprinkle with a pinch extra cayenne. Chill for at least 2 hrs, or up to 3 days before serving.

POTTED SHRIMP

Steps:

• 1. Melt all but 2 tablespoons of the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat without boiling, about 4 minutes, and skim off any foam that rises to the surface. Remove from the heat and set aside.
• 2. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat in a medium skillet. Cook the garlic, stirring, until fragrant, 1 minute. Add the shrimp and cook, stirring frequently, until starting to turn pink, about 2 minutes. Pour in the wine and cook, stirring, until the liquid is nearly completely evaporated, about 3 minutes. Pour in the lemon juice and cook 1 minute longer. Stir in the salt and clarified butter and remove from the heat.
• 3. Spoon the shrimp into a small baking dish. Stir in the parsley and pour the melted butter from the skillet over the shrimp just to cover. Reserve any remaining butter in the refrigerator. Chill the shrimp until the butter is solid, 2 hours.
• 4. Pulse the shrimp mixture in a food processor until pureed. Return the mixture to the baking dish. Warm the refrigerated reserved butter in the microwave just until liquefied, about 10 seconds. Pour over the shrimp to cover and refrigerate 3 hours or overnight.
• 5. Remove the dish from the refrigerator 1 hour before serving. Spread on crackers or toasted baguette slices and garnish with additional parsley.

POTTED SHRIMP: AN ENGLISH CANAPE

Steps:

• In a heavy skillet melt 1 tablespoon of butter over medium heat. Add shrimp, shallots , and sprinkle with spices. Stir to coat shrimp with butter and spices.
• Cook 1 minute then add sherry and cook until shrimp is just done and most of the sherry has evaporated-about another 2 1/2 to 3 minutes.
• Remove from heat and add Tabasco and lemon juice. Process mixture in a food processor until it is finely chopped but not a paste-the texture of coarse sea salt. Taste and adjust seasonings.
• Melt remaining butter in the skillet over medium-low heat. When foaming subsides, remove skillet from heat and stir in shrimp mixture.
• Pack into a ramekin and if the liquid doesn't come to the top of the shrimp, add a bit more melted butter. Refrigerate at least 4 hours to let flavors meld.
• Allow to warm in an oven heated at 250 F for an hour before serving on crackers or slices of thin toast.
• This will keep three to four weeks refrigerated and can also be frozen. Eat with thin slices of toast or crackers. (We usually use Pepperidge Farm Very Thin White Bread, cut off the crusts, cut it into four pieces, and toast it.)

POTTED SHRIMP

Steps:

• Bring two quarts of water to a rolling boil. Add shrimp, return to the boil and cook briefly, no more than 2 minutes or until shrimp are just cooked through. Remove from heat, drain and run shrimp under cold water to halt the cooking. Set aside to cool. When cool enough to handle, peel shrimp and discard shells.
• Heat two tablespoons of the butter in a pan and saute sliced leek very gently until soft. Place in the bowl of a food processor, add peeled shrimp, dill and remaining butter. Process until well blended. Add half the lemon juice, a little salt and pepper, process again and taste. Add remaining lemon juice and more salt and pepper if necessary.
• Serve immediately, with crisp toast fingers or slices of crusty bread.

SPICED POTTED SHRIMP

Steps:

• Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Let cook, skimming the foam off the top of the butter, until the white milk solids fall to the bottom of the pan. Carefully pour about half the clarified butter into a measuring cup with a spout and set aside. Leave remaining butter and all those milk solids in the skillet.
• Add anchovy, thyme, lemon zest, mace, salt, pepper, cayenne and celery seed to skillet. Stir in shrimp and cook over medium heat until pink, about 3 minutes. Remove pan from heat and stir in garlic.
• Divide shrimp among 8 ramekins, top with the remaining herbed butter from the skillet and chill until set, about 1 hour.
• Pour reserved clarified butter on top and chill until set, about 15 minutes, or up to 5 days (or freeze for up to 1 month). Remove ramekins from the refrigerator at least 20 minutes to 1 hour before serving with lemon wedges, Tabasco and hot toast.

POTTED SHRIMP

Steps:

• In a large skillet cook shallots with bay leaf in 1 tablespoon butter over moderate heat, stirring, until soft. Add shrimp and salt and pepper to taste and cook, stirring occasionally, until shrimp are pink and cooked through, about 3 minutes. Add Sherry and boil mixture until almost all liquid is evaporated. Cool mixture and discard bay leaf. Transfer shrimp with tongs to a cutting board, reserving shallot mixture, and chop fine.
• In a bowl stir together remaining 5 tablespoons butter and cream cheese until smooth. Stir in shrimp, shallot mixture, lemon juice, chives, and salt and pepper to taste and transfer to a 1 1/2-cup crock. Chill potted shrimp, covered, at least 4 hours and up to 24.
• Serve potted shrimp with crackers or Melba toast.