Potting was a popular way of preserving food before the advent of refridgeration, the shrimps are cooked in butter, cooled and put in pots with a layer of melted butter to seal. This recipe for potted shrimps with pickled cucumber uses brown shrimps, which absorb more butter than their pink cousins.
Ingredients
- 500g salted butter
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
- Pinch of ground mace
- 600g peeled brown shrimps
- Toast, to serve
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For the pickled cucumber
- 25g caster sugar
- 75ml rice vinegar or white wine vinegar
- 1/4 cucumber
- 1/2 tsp fine table salt
Method
- 1. Put 200g of the butter in a saucepan with the spices and plenty of black pepper. Melt over a low heat, stir in the shrimps and set aside for 10 minutes.
- 2. Meanwhile, clarify the rest of the butter by melting slowly in a small pan over a low heat. Set aside so the milky solids sink to the bottom. Divide the shrimp mixture between 6 x 150ml ramekins, pressing down firmly. Spoon over the clarified butter to cover the shrimps well. Discard the milky solids. Cover and chill for 1½ hours or until set.
- 3. Meanwhile, make the pickled cucumber. Put the sugar and vinegar into a small pan over a medium heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves, then cool.
- 4. Finely slice the cucumber on a mandolin, put in a bowl and sprinkle with salt. Leave for 10 minutes, rinse and drain well. Stir into the vinegar mixture and set aside for 20 minutes. Bring the potted shrimps up to room temperature for serving.
- 5. Drain the cucumber and serve with the shrimps and toast.
Nutritional info
Per serving: 743kcals, 63.5g fat (41.5g saturated), 26g protein, 18g carbs, 5.3g sugar, 1.8g salt