I found the little brown shrimp I’d been looking for. Even though I have never had potted shrimp I knew the big pink ones that are more available wouldn’t be right and these teeny brown ones were perfect. This was recipe of the month last month and I’ve been waiting for the halcyon days of summer to arrive so I could try it out. Alas, according to the weathermen England is not going to have a summer this year, or possibly any year soon. It’s pouring with rain here every day it seems. Something to do with the gulf-stream I have heard tell.
Ben came over yesterday and we had the potted shrimp on flatbreads alongside some other bits and pieces while we watched Kansas City Bomber. A bit of a duff film but I like it for three reasons, 1 – Raquel Welch looks absolutely gorgeous throughout, 2 – she lives on a houseboat, 3 – lots of girls on skates rough each other up.
I bought a splendid coffee table in Junk & Disorderly in Crouch End and I was most pleased to see a twiglet left on it after everything was cleared away – very 1970s.
I’m not sure about the proportions in Gracie’s original recipe – I only had 90g of shrimp so I just did about half the amount of butter and it made three ramekins worth – only a little bit in each. We ate one between us – Lord knows what I’ll do with the other two.
Here’s my version
90g cooked and picked shrimps
28g fresh butter
a pinch of cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground mace
Melt 14g of the butter in a thick pan; add seasonings and mace. When hot, stir in shrimps and heat them through, but do not allow to boil. Put into small dishes. Heat remaining butter, without burning it, and pour over shrimps barely to cover them.
Leave potted shrimps until quite set. Serve with hot dry toast and butter.
