Spiced Potted Shrimp Recipe (2024)

By Melissa Clark

Spiced Potted Shrimp Recipe (1)

Total Time
20 minutes, plus chilling
Rating
4(77)
Notes
Read community notes

In the history of British cuisine, potting perishable foods — that is, sealing ingredients in a crock under a thin layer of clarified butter — was a way to preserve them. Thanks to modern refrigeration, preservation is no longer the point, but luscious, buttery potted dishes are still popular throughout Britain. Here, diced shrimp are aggressively seasoned with anchovy, celery seed, lemon zest and garlic before being sealed into ramekins. Potted shrimp is a very rich dish, best served in small quantities with hot toast on the side to melt the solidified butter back into a creamy sauce. Or, scoop out the shrimp and butter and mix it with hot pasta to create an instant scampi-like dish.

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Ingredients

Yield:8 servings

  • cups unsalted butter (3 sticks)
  • 4anchovy fillets, chopped
  • 2teaspoons fresh thyme or lemon thyme, minced, more for garnish
  • ½teaspoon lemon zest
  • ¼teaspoon plus ⅛ teaspoon mace (or nutmeg)
  • ¼teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼teaspoon ground black pepper
  • Pinch cayenne
  • Pinch celery seed
  • 1pound peeled shrimp, cut into ¼-inch dice
  • 1garlic clove, grated on a Microplane or minced
  • Lemon wedges, for serving
  • Tabasco, for serving
  • Hot toast, for serving

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)

367 calories; 35 grams fat; 22 grams saturated fat; 1 gram trans fat; 9 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 2 grams carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 0 grams sugars; 13 grams protein; 225 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Spiced Potted Shrimp Recipe (2)

Preparation

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  1. Step

    1

    Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Let cook, skimming the foam off the top of the butter, until the white milk solids fall to the bottom of the pan. Carefully pour about half the clarified butter into a measuring cup with a spout and set aside. Leave remaining butter and all those milk solids in the skillet.

  2. Step

    2

    Add anchovy, thyme, lemon zest, mace, salt, pepper, cayenne and celery seed to skillet. Stir in shrimp and cook over medium heat until pink, about 3 minutes. Remove pan from heat and stir in garlic.

  3. Step

    3

    Divide shrimp among 8 ramekins, top with the remaining herbed butter from the skillet and chill until set, about 1 hour.

  4. Step

    4

    Pour reserved clarified butter on top and chill until set, about 15 minutes, or up to 5 days (or freeze for up to 1 month). Remove ramekins from the refrigerator at least 20 minutes to 1 hour before serving with lemon wedges, Tabasco and hot toast.

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Cooking Notes

Milagros

PS: I use tiger shrimp when available. I retain the shrimp shells and brown them lightly (2 min) in a stick of butter. Strain the butter in a sieve lined in cheesecloth. When the butter has cooled I then add few drops of cognac and ground allspice, ground clove and piment d' espelette.....

Mary

Great dish, fairly quick to produce which is well suited for entertaining. I might try it with pasta, it is so full of favor.

Milagros

I had a pinch of ground clove, ground allspice and piment d' espelette....few drops of cognac. Superb!

Sally N

Traditionally, potted shrimp are sold in British supermarkets in tiny tubs, and are also popular food in good pubs. Best enjoyed on very thinly sliced whole-wheat toast, with just a spritz of fresh lemon juice. In Britain the tiniest, most tender shrimp are used whole, but I’ve never seen them sold in the US. Looking forward to giving this recipe a go!

Donna

Butter may remain solid at room temperature unless warmed

Jean Norris

Loved this. Thanks Melissa. Made exactly as written, using shrimp recommended as 2nd most flavorful at Berkeley Bowl fish counter. (Made a broth wiith the shells that tasted great in miso soup later.) could have used a bit more spice at first, but flavor developed over a couple more days. Sweet batard was the perfect bread, dense cell structure, toasted evenly. Agree about needing more time to warm before serving.

Mary

Great dish, fairly quick to produce which is well suited for entertaining. I might try it with pasta, it is so full of favor.

BigGuy

Canned shrimp would work well.

KL

Remarkably bland, despite increasing the seasonings.

Milagros

PS: I use tiger shrimp when available. I retain the shrimp shells and brown them lightly (2 min) in a stick of butter. Strain the butter in a sieve lined in cheesecloth. When the butter has cooled I then add few drops of cognac and ground allspice, ground clove and piment d' espelette.....

Milagros

I had a pinch of ground clove, ground allspice and piment d' espelette....few drops of cognac. Superb!

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Spiced Potted Shrimp Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Do you eat potted shrimp hot or cold? ›

Great with toast or crusty bread. Perfect as a starter or light meal. Can be enjoyed either warm or cold.

What is meant by the term potted shrimps? ›

Potted shrimps is a traditional British dish made with brown shrimp flavored with nutmeg and baked in butter. The butter acts as a preservative, and cayenne pepper may also be used. Regarded as a delicacy, it is traditionally eaten with bread. Potted shrimps.

How to serve morecambe bay potted shrimp? ›

They can be eaten either warm or cold.
  1. Famous Morecambe bay brown shrimp.
  2. Frozen.
  3. Can be eaten warm or cold - perfect with crusty bread or toast.

Can I freeze potted shrimp? ›

The potted shrimps will keep chilled for up to 5 days or, if they haven't been previously frozen (check with your fishmonger), cover in cling film and freeze for up to 1 month. Defrost, then warm to serve.

How long do potted shrimps keep in the fridge? ›

Pour the spiced butter gently over the shrimps just to the top and allow to cool and set. Dust the solidifying mix with a little more cayenne and refrigerate. The potted shrimps will keep nicely at 2-4C for a few days or you can freeze.

What does potted shrimp taste like? ›

Flavourings. The delicate spicing of most potted shrimp recipes is a nod to their long history – mace, or nutmeg, a pinch of pepper – maybe even a hint of cloves, as in White's 18th-century version.

Where is famous for potted shrimp? ›

Still following a traditional recipe that goes back hundreds of years, our potted shrimps have delicious delicate taste and unique texture. Take a look at our range online and get this famous Cumbrian delicacy delivered directly to your door.

Do you pat shrimp dry before cooking? ›

Peeled, Cleaned & Deveined Shrimp

There are just a couple of steps you need to follow before you start cooking. Always rinse your defrosted shrimp in cool water. Pat your shrimp dry. This will allow any seasoning to stick while also giving them a better texture and appearance.

How are Morecambe bay shrimps caught? ›

Shrimp can also be fished recreationally through push netting carried out by hand. A net is attached to a long handle and is pushed along the sea bed in shallow water. The mouth of the net is attached to a metal ring to hold it open, the contents collected into the back of the net.

Why can't you freeze shrimp? ›

Shrimp can be frozen cooked or raw, in or out of the shell. For maximum storage life and quality, freeze shrimp raw, with heads removed but shells still on. Be sure to wash and drain the shrimp if frozen raw. Quickly chill shrimp cooked before freezing.

Should I throw away freezer burned shrimp? ›

According to the FSIS, freezer burn doesn't make food unsafe, but rather it makes it dry in spots which is a quality issue not food safety issue. These dry areas appear as grayish-brown spots and are caused by air coming into contact with the surface of the food.

How do you freeze shrimp in a ziplock bag? ›

As you close the bags shut, squeeze out as much air as possible before putting them in the freezer. Label the bags with the date before you put them in the freezer. That way, you know how long you have until they expire.

Should shrimp be served hot or cold? ›

If you'd rather chill the shrimp you can place them on ice in the fridge until they're cold. I like them both ways so it's up to you how you want to serve them, they're delicious both ways.

Do you heat up leftover shrimp? ›

Although you can eat leftover shrimp cold, reheating it is the tastier option for waking up those delicious flavors again. That said, you should always use gentle heat when warming up shellfish like shrimp as intense heat may cause it to overcook and become rubbery.

Can you eat room temperature shrimp? ›

Never leave seafood or other perishable food out of the refrigerator for more than 2 hours or for more than 1 hour if exposed to temperatures above 90°F (32°C). Bacteria that can cause illness grow quickly at temperatures between 40°F (4°C) and 140°F (60°C).

Can you eat cold water shrimp? ›

The cold-water prawns are known across the world for its delicate, sweet flavor with a firm and juicy texture to the meat. The shrimp is best served cold in salads, wraps, sandwich, shrimp co*cktail and the like – just thaw and eat.

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