Shrimp and wine reduction

[Doodad]

I have head on shrimp fresh, shallots, lemon zest, garlic and sav blanc.

I was thinking of steaming a quarter pound of the shrimp, collecting the juices and then reducing with above for a topping of pan seared grouper for dinner. I was going to saute some unsteamed shrimp in the reduction at the end for added goodie on the fish. Any thoughts?

[budrichard]

You can use the shells from fresh shrimp to make stock for a soup but a reduction of the liquid from a 1/4 # of shrimp steamed will not get you anywhere. You also will need the shells from more than 1/4 # to make a stock.

I might shell the shrimp, heat the shells with cream, add a little wine, salt and white pepper, then saute the shelled shrimp in the cream and serve on your grouper.

Good luck!-Dick

[Doodad]

You can use the shells from fresh shrimp to make stock for a soup but a reduction of the liquid from a 1/4 # of shrimp steamed will not get you anywhere. You also will need the shells from more than 1/4 # to make a stock.

I might shell the shrimp, heat the shells with cream, add a little wine, salt and white pepper, then saute the shelled shrimp in the cream and serve on your grouper.

Good luck!-Dick

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Sorry. I was going to add ~ 1/4 pound shrimp and heads (broken) to the "stock" for the reduction. At least the first half of the reduction. Do you think that will cut it?

[tim]

Doodad,

The flavor from shellfish is quickly absorbed by fats.

Shell and remove the heads from the shrimp. Make a sauce using the shells, shrimp heads, shallots, garlic and butter. Saute the shallots and butter to soften, add the shrimp heads, zest and shells and the wine. Cook for up to an hour adding liquid (hopefully heavy cream, creme fraiche or the like) as necessary, tasting as you go.

Strain and add the shrimp (maybe quartered) and cook them maybe 2 to 4 minutes.

Great flavor for the Grouper,

Tim

[Abra]

In all my years of making shrimp stock I've never thought of infusing them into cream - great idea!

[budrichard]

Cream is like bacon, it goes good with everything!-Dick

[Doodad]

Cream is like bacon, it goes good with everything!-Dick

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Folks, what happened came out great. The sauce (reduction) was a little sour and slightly bitter for my taste half way through so I added some turbinado and more wine after removing the shrimp heads and pieces. Reduced to oblivion and as the pan fried grouper finished in the oven, added the raw shrimp and butter for finish.

The wife was pleased. Not so much the fish hating daughter, who made herself a rissoto instead,