Pickled Shrimp with Mustard Aioli
These perfectly poached shrimp are marinated in a citrus vinaigrette with lots of herbs, fennel, and spices to give them a delicious "pickled" flavor. What's make these even better is, you guessed it, they can be made ahead! Pickle the shrimp the night before you want to serve and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The mustard aioli can be made up to 5 days in advance and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. These shrimp will be become a staple for you whenever you are hosting but if you do have any leftovers take off the shrimp tails and chop the entire mixture and turn into a shrimp salad sandwich!
10-12 servings
Your Time: 30 minutes
For the pickled shrimp:
1 pound 21/25 peeled and deveined shrimp with the tail on
1 teaspoon celery seeds
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 cloves garlic, smashed
1/2 fennel bulb, thinly sliced and fronds chopped
1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
Lemon peel from 1 lemon
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
1 small shallot, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to season water
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
For the mustard aioli:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
1 tablespoon honey mustard
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
Kosher salt, to taste
For the pickled shrimp: Season 3 quarts of boiling water with kosher salt. Have a large ice bath ready for the shrimp after they are cooked. Reduce the heat to a simmer and add the shrimp. Cook for 1-2 minutes or until the shrimp are pink. Remove to the ice bath and let cool completely. Once the shrimp are cooled remove from the ice bath to large bowl or air tight container.
In a mortar and pestle or spice grinder grind the celery and fennel seeds until fine. Add to a large bowl with the garlic, parsley, lemon peel and juice, fennel slices and fronds, shallots, crushed red pepper, salt, and olive oil. Mix together and then pour over the shrimp. Marinate the shrimp in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or up to overnight; the longer the shrimp marinates the more flavor. When ready to serve, drain the shrimp from the pickling liquid, patting on a paper towel to remove excess oil before serving with the mustard aioli sauce.
To make the mustard aioli sauce: Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and season to taste with salt. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.