Buttered Shrimps with Bretonne Sauce
A gorgeous butter sauce, quick and easy to make and also delicious with other fish even with the humble mackerel if you are fortunate to find a few this year...
SERVES
2
PEOPLE
PREP TIME
10
MINUTES
COOKING TIME
15
MINUTES
Ingredients
- 900g (2lbs) shrimps
2.3 litres (4 pints) water
2 tablespoons salt
Bretonne Sauce
1 egg yolk, preferably free range
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon parsley, chopped or a mixture of chervil, chives, tarragon and fennel, chopped (mixed)
75g (3oz) butter, melted
Garnish
flat parsley or fresh fennel
25g (1oz) butter
Method
- Bring the water to the boil. Add the salt, toss in the live or very fresh shrimps, they will change colour from grey to pink almost instantly. Bring the water back to the boil and cook for just 2-3 minutes. The shrimps are cooked when there is no trace of black at the back of the head. Drain immediately and spread out on a large baking tray to cool.
Next make the Bretonne Sauce.
Whisk the egg yolk with the mustard and herbs in a bowl. Bring the butter to the boil and pour it in a steady stream onto the egg yolks, whisking continuously until the sauce thickens to a light coating consistency as with a Hollandaise. Keep warm in a flask or place in a pottery or plastic bowl (not stainless steel) in a saucepan of hot but not boiling water.
Just before serving, peel the shrimps and toss in the foaming butter in a frying pan until heated through. Heap them onto a hot serving dish or plates. Coat with Bretonne Sauce. Garnish with flat parsley or fresh fennel and serve immediately.
