Homemade Potted Shrimps

Brown shrimps are yet another one of those locally-abundant seasonal shellfish that mostly get exported away from our shores. Apart from in the North West, where traditional shrimping and potting are still carried out in the likes of Southport and Morecambe and the product is laboriously but very efficiently hand peeled, the bulk of our national catch (about 5000 tonnes) go to Holland for mechanical peeling, using high pressure water and compressed air. This in itself is a very effective method but I think always loses the flavour. When the shrimps return to us vac-packed and pasteurised, they seem to have mysteriously quadrupled in price too, making them off the menu for most chefs.

I however, have the luxury of being able to catch my own at low tide with my trusty push net, or buying them straight off the boat from local Lowestoft skipper, Jeffery Melton. The tastiest are undoubtedly the ones I forage for myself, though all are good and the commercial shrimp boats cook their catch aboard in sea water in a gas-fired boiler.

Cooking them on the shore, on a portable stove having just netted them from their sandy burrows is immensely gratifying. The just-cooked sweet and saline, ozonous aroma is unforgettable. The shrimps, to be enjoyed at their best, should be peeled or eaten whole straight away, (don’t worry about the shells) They are literally so moreish, I have a real job not eating them all straight off like a bag of maltesers….

But a great and very traditional way of enjoying them is to incarcerate them in spiced butter - or potted and then liberally spread over some warm, sourdough toast. Quite an old fashioned tea time treat, and a little indulgent, but then so very easy to make and of course you can use North Atlantic prawns as an alternative, if you can’t find any brownies.

Homemade Potted Brown Shrimps

Serves 2

Ingredients

1 pint of cooked and peeled brown shrimps.

250g unsalted butter

A pinch of ground mace

A pinch of cayenne

A squeeze of lemon

2 small ramekins to serve in

Soughdough or wholemeal toast to serve on.

Method

Melt the butter over a low heat and strain off the solids so you’re just left with the clarified ghee. Introduce the mace and cayenne and stir over a low heat. Let the spices infuse into the butter. Add a squeeze of lemon, before taking the peeled shrimps and tamping them down into the ramekins with the back of a spoon.

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.

To serve

Take the ramekins out of the fridge and leave to stand a while at room temperature to loosen the butter. Spoon the potted shrimps onto your freshly made warm toast and savour whilst thinking of the beach. Always does it for me.