Delicious poached shrimp.
Poached Shrimp
Perfect for a raw shellfish bar. This recipe for poached shrimp is courtesy of Tyler Florence. It’s an easy and quick dish that is perfect for a seafood feast.
Ingredients
- 2 tsp sea salt
- 2 lemons, halved, plus more for serving
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 handful fresh thyme leaves
- 1 handful fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1/4 cup seafood seasoning (optional, recommended: Old Bay or Zatarains shrimp boil. If leaving out, use more salt to compensate)
- 2 pounds jumbo shrimp, with shells and tails on (heads optional)
Directions
Traditional stovetop method:
- 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. The water should taste as salty as the sea.
- Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and simmer for 5 minutes to infuse the water with the aromatics.
- Turn off the heat and add the shrimp. Poach, covered, for 5 minutes or until the shrimp are bright pink and the tails curl. See notes on timing below.
- Using a slotted spoon, remove the shrimp from the poaching liquid and chill thoroughly before peeling.
- Serve with lemon wedges and cocktail sauce as part of a raw shellfish bar.
Sous vide:
- Set your sous vide water bath to 130F (for ceviche) or 135F (for traditional seafood usage).
- In a large bowl, toss shrimp with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. Place shrimp in a heavy-duty zipper-lock bag or a vacuum bag. If desired, add 1 to 2 tablespoons (15 to 30ml) olive oil or butter and aromatics. Remove all air from the bag using the water displacement method or a vacuum sealer. Press shrimp into a single layer.
- Add bagged shrimp to preheated water bath and cook for at least 15 minutes and up to 1 hour (the texture should show very little variation within this time frame). Remove shrimp from the bag to a paper towel-lined plates. Serve hot, or chill and serve cold.
- Smaller shrimp will take less time. Start checking after about 2 minutes.