Poached Shrimp

As we slip into summer, it’s time for some simple and light meals. 

Poached Shrimp is a favorite of my family. Sitting around the table and drenching succulent shrimp in Garlic & Herb Butter, reminds us of vacations at the beach.

Make some Poached Shrimp and transport yourself to somewhere sunny, warm, and care free. 

Poached Shrimp

• 2 lbs. wild caught shrimp*
• 2 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 3/4 tsp peppercorns
• 5 cloves of garlic
• 1/2 lemon

*See test kitchen notes about choosing shrimp. 

Directions:

1. Fill a large pot with about 4 liters of water. (The water should fill the pot about three-fourths of the way up.)
2. Add the salt, peppercorns, garlic cloves, juice of half a lemon, and the lemon half to the water. 
3. Bring the water to a boil. 
4. Once the water has begun to boil, add the shrimp. Cook the shrimp for 2-4 minutes, until it changes from gray to pink and is cooked all the way through. (Shrimp cooks extremely fast. Don’t overcook it. Overcooking shrimp causes the texture to become mushy or rubbery.)
5. Remove the pot from the heat and drain off all the water. 
6. Put the shrimp in a large bowl and serve with Herb & Garlic Butter. 

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Garlic & Herb Butter

• 6 Tbsp salted, grass-fed butter
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1-2 Tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped.

Directions:

1. In a small pot, melt the butter over low heat. 
2. Once the butter is melted, turn off the heat and add all of the garlic. Let the garlic and butter infuse for 10 minutes.
3. Add the lemon juice and the parsley. Stir to combine.
4. Serve in small bowls alongside the shrimp.

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Test Kitchen Notes:

My ideal shrimp is wild-caught, shell-on, and deveined. It is pretty hard for me to find my ideal shrimp where I live so, I often buy frozen, wild-caught, shell-on shrimp and devein it myself. 

You can use fresh or frozen shrimp. Unless you live on the coast, your shrimp has likely been frozen at some point even if it is being sold as “fresh”. Which means it was likely frozen then, thawed. I usually opt for frozen shrimp. 

The number on the package of the shrimp indicates about how many shrimp you get per pound. For example, I like to buy 16/20 shrimp. That means there should be about 16-20 shrimp in each pound. (Avoid buying very small shrimp. They do not poach very well.)

You can use shell on or peeled shrimp for this recipe. I like shell on shrimp because it usually has a better flavor and texture, but it is more work to peel and devein while eating. Shell on shrimp also seems to not get as mushy while poaching. 

If you use frozen shrimp, the water will stop boiling when you add the shrimp. It is okay. The water is still hot enough to cook the shrimp. You do not need to bring the water back to a boil before starting the cooking time; the shrimp still only needs to cook for 2-4 minutes, until the shrimp goes from gray to pink. 

If you use fresh shrimp, turn the water down to a simmer once you have added all the shrimp and cook it for 2-4 minutes until the shrimp goes from gray to pink.