Butter-Poached shrimp and grits from Ruhlman's Twenty/photo by Donna Turner Ruhlman
Just the name is inspiring: butter-poached shrimp. Butter-poached shrimp and grits. Mmmm.
Butter-poached lobster, not uncommon in French haute cuisine, was popularized in America by Thomas Keller in The French Laundry Cookbook and at that restaurant. "Lobster loves gentle heat," he told me then. It's not much of a leap for the thrifty-minded cook to reason that shrimp, too, love gentle heat. That's why, in the butter chapter of my new book, I showed how to use butter as a cooking medium (one of the many amazing ways butter can be used as a tool). This dish is absolutely killer. The shrimp stay very tender, rich and tasty with the butter; the grits are then enriched with the shrimp butter. Leftover butter can be used to saute shrimp and garlic for a shrimp stir-fry, use it to scramble eggs and serve with cured salmon, or enrich a shellfish sauce (save your shrimp shells).
Want the recipe for butter-poached shrimp and grits? It's here, on the Splendid Table site. The awesome Lynne Rossetto Kasper interviews me about the book and about one of her favorite ingredients, butter. I adore National Public Media's Splendid Table and it's host, who is extremely knowledgable, a genuine pro. She has her own new book out now, How To Eat Weekends coauthored with Sally Swift. All of Lynne's work is first rate and I highly recommend her books. You can listen to us talk butter (and hear so much more) on your local NPR station or download Lynne's podcasts.
Want to have a look at my wife Donna's great process shots? Scroll down. One of the best parts of the book is the photography. Our goal was to show how food is supposed to look like, can look like, in your kitchen, rather present than heavily worked over studio food photography. We couldn't do if we tried—or we could but it's just not what we do. I like to look at food porn, but not make it. We're after information, visual information in this case. But looking at that lead photo, well, it's looking pretty damn good. I think I know what I'm having for breakfast tomorrow.
Sidenote: Today I'll be at the Fabulous Food Show in Cleveland, 3:15 on the Celebration Stage (with my sous chef Mac Dalton, my partner in Dalton-Ruhlman tools). On Tuesday, November 15 I'll be in Washington, DC, at the National Press Club 34th Annual Book Fair & Authors Night. My assistant Emilia, my Robin, insists that I ask you to follow me on Twitter and on Facebook. Which I hope you do—I try to answer all questions.
How to butter poach shrimp from Ruhlman's Twenty, photography by Donna Turner Ruhlman:
Making beurre monté: start butter in a tablespoon of water over medim heat.
Add a few chunks at a time, swirling continuously until it's all melted.
Finished beurre monté at perfect poaching temperature 160-180˚ F.
Add shrimp and stir to gently cook them.
Cut one open to make sure they're coked through.
Add shrimpy butter to finish the grits and serve with a squeeze of lemon and fresh black pepper.
If you liked this post on shrimp and grits, check out these other links:
- My rant on animals and the ethics of eating: It's a Wonderful Life.
- Learn how to make grits with sausage.
- Hushpuppy Nation is a blog focused on the Southern food's history and culture.
- Video: watch the Perennial Plate catch shrimp in New Orleans.
© 2011 Michael Ruhlman. Photo © 2011 Donna Turner-Ruhlman. All rights reserved
Butter-Poached Shrimp and Grits
Ingredients
- 4 oz bacon cut into small dice
- 1 medium onion cut into small dice
- Kosher salt
- 1 ¼ cups high quality stoneground grits
- 2 cups milk or homemade vegetable/chicken stock
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup butter cut into about 12 chunks
- 1 lb shrimp/prawns peeled and deveined
- 4 lemon wedges
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the bacon and water to cover. Cook until the water has cooked off, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the bacon is lightly colored and enough of the fat has rendered to cook the onion. Add the onion, season with a three-finger pinch of salt, and cook until softened.
- Add the grits and stir. If using milk or stock, add it along with 2 cups/480 milliliters water. If not using milk, add 4 cups/960 ml water. Raise the heat and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and cook the grits, stirring, for about 30 minutes. Give the grits several grinds of black pepper. Add more milk or water as needed (about 2 cups/480 milliliters) to keep the mixture fluid. You should use enough water so that the grits don’t stick to the pan and they can absorb the moisture they need. You can cook off additional moisture, so err on the side of using too much liquid. Keep the pan covered on low heat over a heat diffuser for up to 12 hours; monitor the moisture level, adding milk or water as needed. (You can also put the grits in a slow cooker on low or in a covered pan in a low oven, 150° to 200°F/65° to 95°C, for up to 12 hours.)
- When the grits are ready, put 2 tablespoons water in a saucepan that is just large enough to hold the butter and shrimp/prawns. Bring the water just to a simmer over medium-high heat. Add a chunk of butter and whisk continuously as the butter melts. When the butter has begun to melt and emulsify into the water, add three more chunks and continue to whisk. (Or you can swirl the butter in the pan; it needs to keep moving—how you do it is up to you.) When all the butter is incorporated, add the shellfish and stir. Keep the pan on medium-high heat until the butter gets hot again. Use an instant-read thermometer to maintain a temperature just below a simmer, 170° to 180°F/77° to 82°C. Don’t let the butter to boil. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes. Remove a shrimp, cut it open, and check that it’s just cooked through. It should be white at the center, not translucent gray, and tender and juicy.
- Put the grits over medium-high heat to get them up to temperature. They should be loose but thick. Taste and add more salt if needed. Stir about a third of the poaching butter into the grits.
- Spoon the grits onto plates, and arrange the shellfish on or beside the grits as desired. Garnish with more butter, freshly ground pepper, and a squeeze of lemon.
Awesome post Michael. Thanks for sharing the beurre monte technique.
One question... could you make the sauce over a double boiler or does it need direct heat? I just always worry about burning the butter for something like this.
Is that not something i should worry about?
I first came across a guy named Micheal Ruhlman on The Splendid Table, years back, talking about stocks. That led me The Making of a Chef: Mastering Heat at the Culinary Institute of America, and, now all of your works. My 40 years in the food biz has been enhanced by your contributions. My all-time favorite, however, remains Walk on Water: The Miracle of Saving Children's Lives .
Who knew grits could be sexy?
BTW, I commented on your Yogurt post a few weeks back. I know you don't check every comment nor do you really care, but I essentially reblogged your yogurt recipe. I obviously gave you credit and appreciation. http://desastresastre.blogspot.com/2011/11/yogurt-redux-from-scratch.html
I 100% don't expect you to visit my blog, but being new to the blogosphere, I'm not always 100% sure of the reblogging rules. I just want you do know it's out there. I did poke a little fun at your expense, but I'm sure you don't mind.
And yes, that was also a shameless plug for my blog. God bless the internet.
Oh how I loved this dish. Until I made it, I thought I hated grits.
I had a similar dish when in New Orleans recently. I never thought shrimp and grits would go together so well, but they do, they are heavenly together. Thank you for sharing your technique I will be trying these soon.
I'm thinking of Sous Vide Grits using the last of my Corn Stock.
Any comments Michael?
What a perfect apres-ski dinner or just dinner to make for friends. Easy and Elegant. This inspires me.
Typo "Cut one open to make sure they're coked through."
Nice recipe though...
Sweet baby jesus and clutch my pearls!!!!!
And I rarely even eat shrimp!!!!! But hot damn this looks delicious.
Straight up FOOD PORN Ruhlman. Mmmmm Mmmmm good.
If anything could make me cheat on Bill Neal's fabulous shrimp & grits recipe - this might be it!
Mmmmm..... That's nice looking butter. From a small farm? Looks really creamy and yellow...
Okay, it's been a while since I've been here ... and now I've got some catching up to do. I do appreciate these inside tricks that you give us. It only confirms what I always new about cooking, and why I enjoy it so much. In high school, when my favorite Home-Ec teacher threw butter, sugar, flour, and eggs together and came up with pat a choux, I thought it was magic. So you are like a magician, giving us all the magic tricks. Just this weekend I prepared shrimp (which I loathe, by the way) for my family, and although they said it was excellent, I can only imagine how good it would have been if I had known this technique. Also, saw you on Martha last week. What's up with that double dipping? Do all chefs do that? Please let me know.
"Cut one open to make sure they're coked through." So THAT'S the secret ingredient!
I make some quick overnight spicy pickled shallot to put on top. The vinegar and spice cut through the rich flavor and add a great taste, toss on a little cilantro if you want and go to town!
Aaron:
I was thinking the same thing -- it needs a little acid. I wonder if instead of the beurre fondue that Michael is using, you could use a lemon-based beurre blanc as the poaching medium? It would double as a sauce. You might end up being too harsh -- I'll have to try it.