A quick pickling gives the shrimp a bright, tangy flavor. Timing note: The shrimp need to chill in the pickling mixture for three to six hours before serving.
Ingredients
Makes 8 servings
Pickling mixture:
Boiling mixture:
For pickling mixture:
Step 1
Stir rice vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice, lemon slices, onion slices, garlic cloves, bay leaves, celery seeds, mustard seeds, coarse kosher salt, and black pepper in large bowl until salt dissolves. DO AHEAD:Can be made 1 day ahead.Cover and chill.
For boiling mixture:
Step 2
Place 8 cups water in large pot. Add coarse salt, bay leaves, thyme sprigs, garlic, paprika, mustard seeds, allspice, celery seeds, cardamom pods, and cinnamon stick. Bring to boil over high heat. Boil 5 minutes. Add shrimp; stir to separate. Boil just until shells turn pink, about 2 minutes. Using large skimmer, transfer shrimp to colander to drain.
Step 3
Line rimmed baking sheet with layer of ice cubes. Scatter shrimp on ice to cool quickly, about 5 minutes. Peel and devein shrimp, leaving tails intact. Add peeled shrimp to pickling mixture; stir to blend. Cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours and up to 6 hours.
Step 4
Using slotted spoon, lift shrimp from pickling mixture. Arrange on platter. Serve with crusty bread.
What to drink:
Step 5
A special meal like this deserves a bubbly beginning. With the shrimp, pour a crisp Champagne. We like the Franck Bonville NV Brut Sélection (France, $30), which is fruity with citrus and mineral notes.
Nutrition Per Serving
Fresh bay leaves are sold in the produce section of the supermarket.
Leave a Review
Reviews (9)
Back to TopSuperb. I've made this several times now, and made several competing recipes, and this one wins hands down. Every time I've given a jar to a friend its contents have been demolished in a matter of minutes. I'm lazy enough to use already-shelled shrimp and they are perfectly good though the texture would be better with shrimp cooked shell on. And I've reused the pickling sauce for slices of watermelon radish and as a quick marinate for barbecued chicken, yum!
jrodenbe
9/2/2018
I remember this from over 50 years ago at my husbands Italian family holiday dinners ! I haven't made this in many years...but will this year !! Thanks for the memory's and the inspiration to do this dish again for our children and grand kids .
MAP297
NOW: UPSTATE NY, ORIGINALY BROOKLYN, NY
12/4/2013
We have made the shrimp several times and always get rave reviews from our friends. For individual servings we used medium shrimp and put them in four ounce canning jars after pickling for easy passed hors d'oeuvres.
jametha
Oakland CA
12/22/2012
We made the entire menu from which this came for Christmas Eve. Phenomenal! Cooked the shrimp for 1 1/2 minutes as to not overcook and cooled in an ice bath. Also, we took the tails off and served over greens with rustic bread. Big hit!
AChase
Los Angeles
12/25/2011
I was brave enough to make this for a brunch. Displayed in a glass bowl, it made a beautiful presentation and was the one dish my guests still talk about. It's a bit of work, but really, really outstanding. I had no problems with toughness of the shrimp or bad texture.
Anonymous
new england
5/14/2010
I made these for an appetizer before Christmas dinner. While it was nice that I could make it all completely ahead of time, the flavor wasn't really there for us. I let them soak in the pickling sauce for 4 hours. The leftovers the next day were more flavorful, but the texture was bad. I wouldn't bother with these again.
Anonymous
Washington
12/29/2009
I make cold cooked shrimp a lot so I had high hopes for this. The pickling mixture smelled wonderful but the finished product was not worth the effort. The shrimp were tough and rubbery and the taste was just okay. I was very careful with the amount of time needed to cook the shrimp as I always am knowing they continue to cook even after they are out of the cooking liquid. So if you decide to make these or any other shrimp dish, be VERY careful not to overcook; it happens before you realize it. Don't know what happened to these but I won't be making them again.
KDavis1
Atlanta
12/26/2009
This dish was absolutely outstanding. Best shrimp I have ever eaten! The flavors came together beautifully to highlight the shrimp. I can't stop thinking about it! Great with a sparkling wine.
Tapler
Chicago, IL
12/21/2009
This dish was brought to my holiday party by a neighbor who is known for delicious new dishes. My first thought was that the flavor of the shrimp would be lost in the pickling spices and vinegar. It was light, tangy and the pickled flavors were surprisingly not too overbearing. It was the first dish to go!!
snmaison
columbus, ohio
12/15/2009
