Poached Bamboo Shrimp Recipes

BAMBOO PIPE STEAMED COCONUT SHRIMP

Steps:

• Soak two 8-inch-long, 4 1/2-inch-wide bamboo steamer pipes in water for 15 to 20 minutes before using to prevent them from burning over an open fire. (See Cook's Note.) If the walls of the bamboo steamer pipes are at least 1 inch thick or if you are using a gas grill, this step is optional.
• Place the shrimp in a medium bowl and sprinkle with the salt. Mix in the coconut milk, rice wine vinegar, ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil, green onion, cilantro, lemongrass and red chile flakes.
• Prepare an open fire with grill grates or prepare a gas grill for 350 degrees F.
• Fill the bamboo pipes with the shrimp mixture. Ensure the liquid fills the bamboo pipes at least three-quarters of the way up. Place the bamboo pipes directly on the grill grates over the open fire or directly on the grates of a gas grill at 350 degrees F. Remove the bamboo pipes when the shrimp are cooked through, after about 30 minutes. Allow to rest for 5 minutes. Drain the liquid from the bamboo pipes and reserve for the guests to use for dipping or smothering. Serve the shrimp over your favorite side or steamed white rice.

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.

FANTAIL SHRIMP

Steps:

• Rinse, dry, shell, and devein the shrimp if necessary, but leave the tails on. Split the shrimp along the inner curve, but do not cut all the way through. Spread each shrimp out flat and tap with the broad of a cleaver or knife. (Cutting along the inner curve prevents the shrimp from curling out of shape during the cooking.)
• Make the marinade by combining in a bowl the ginger, garlic, and oil. Season shrimp with the marinade, cover and chill 30 minutes.
• Make the batter by measuring out the dry ingredients into a mixing bowl and then adding the liquid ones, singly and little by little, stirring until the mixture is a smooth, thick batter. Fold in the sesame seeds last. Place the batter by the shrimp near the stove.
• Heat the wok or heavy, deep pot; then add and heat the oil until a drop of batter foams instantly, about 375 degrees F. Lower the heat a little. Then hold 1 shrimp by its tail and dip it into the batter to coat evenly; slip it into the hot oil. Repeat rapidly with the rest of the shrimp and deep-fry them for 3 minutes. Turn the shrimp constantly, with a gentle motion, after they're all in the oil. When they are golden brown, remove them with chopsticks, a skimmer, or a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain.
• Arrange the shrimp on a serving platter and sprinkle a little roasted salt-pepper on top. The shrimp may be done 10 to 15 minutes in advance and kept hot and crisp in a 200 degree F oven. Or decrease the frying time by 30 to 45 seconds; then drain on paper towels. When ready to serve, refry until brown and crisp, about 30 seconds.

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.

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.

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.