Episode 242 - Poached Shrimp

There are a lot of approaches to poaching shrimp, but I recently learned this shallow poaching technique from Chef Chris Muller at CIA. It is really pretty much foolproof for delicately poaching shrimp to the perfect doneness with no risk of overcooking.

The key to this approach seems to be having only just enough liquid to cover a single layer of shrimp in the pan. What this means is that once you lay the shrimp in the poaching liquid the temperature of the liquid drops quickly as the shrimp heat up and poach. This is in contrast to the approach where you drop the shrimp into a larger pot of hot water, which means the water stays hotter longer and you can overcook the shrimp and make them tough and rubbery.

I took Chef Chris’ technique and put my own twist on it. You will need
• peeled and deveined raw shrimp
• water
• dry white wine
• Thinly sliced
o Garlic clove
o A few slices of shallot
o A few slices of red onion
o A few slices of fennel, plus some fennel fronds
o A few slices of lemon
• A large sprig of tarragon
• A few sprigs of thyme

Put enough of a 50-50 mix of water and wine to cover a layer of shrimp in a large pan. Bring to a boil. Add all of the sliced ingredients. Pause briefly and then pull the pan off the heat. Wait for the boiling to fully subside. Then put in a layer of shrimp. It is OK to pack them close together, but don’t overlap them. One flat layer. If you have more shrimp than will fit, then do them in batches (it’s a good idea to use a pan that will be full for each batch, so think about total area). Let the shrimp sit in the hot poaching liquid until just cooked through, which will depend on size. Flipping them after five minutes is a good idea.

The reality is that it really doesn’t matter whether you leave them in “too long.” The temperature between the shrimp and the poaching liquid will equilibrate such that they will get hot enough, but not too hot. They will be tender and juicy with just a little bit of subtle flavor.

They are now ready to serve as shrimp cocktail, added to a salad to make a full meal, put on a seafood platter, or cut up and turned into a shrimp salad. You could even add them at the last minute to a hot dish. Just put them in the sauce at the last minute for just enough time to warm them up but not cook them anymore. Also, since they are cooked, they will keep in the fridge for a couple of days as you use them up in different ways.