POTTED SHRIMPS WITH MELBA TOASTS AND PICKLED CUCUMBERS

A sophisticated and  British classic dish this is. The shrimps are literally boiled in butter with nutmeg and a bit of cayenne pepper. Some also use the mace for flavouring. They are eaten warm or at room temperature with thin toast called melba toast and sweety and sharp cucumber pickle. The pots are easily frozen up to a month. They are great to be served as an appetizer with melba toast soldiers or nice bread slices. 

Serves 2

Time: 10 minutes + 1-hour chilling time

For the shrimps

1 cup shrimps, cleaned, deveined

1 cup butter at room temperature

A pinch of nutmeg or mace

A pinch of cayenne pepper

A pinch of white pepper

1/2 tsp lemon zest

For the pickle

1 small cucumber sliced thinly using a mandoline or a peeler

2 tbs caster sugar

3 tbs vinegar

1/2 tsp salt

Melba toast

5 bread slices

Method

First, start with the toasts. Toast the bread slices until crisp. Cut the edges. And then slice each toast in between so you can get 2 thin slices. Cut them into triangles and put them under the broiler for 5 minutes until they are browned slightly and curled upwards. Remove them and keep them aside. ( the reason I do the toasts first is that cooking the shrimps needs time and love to perfect them)

 

Now with the shrimps, heat half a cup of butter on a very low heat (it should not bubble up but just melt) into this add the shrimps, mace or nutmeg, cayenne pepper, salt, white pepper and lemon zest. When the shrimps just change the colour, dish them into 2 small ramekins or small cups. 

Heat the remaining 1 cup of butter on slow heat and pour it on the shrimps in the ramekins. Let them cool slightly and then refrigerate them till set. 

As the ramekins are in the fridge, prepare the pickle by mixing cucumber slices, sugar, vinegar and salt in a bowl. Mix them very well. Squeeze the water out just before serving.

Remove the ramekins about 20 minutes before serving. Serve them with the toasts and pickled cucumbers on the side.