Pickled Shrimp

JOHN BESH  REEL MASTERS

Recipe from “My Family Table” (Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2011)

Serves: 10

This recipe requires high-quality wild shrimp. Of course, I prefer wild Louisiana shrimp from the water.

I know. It's better to find the best shrimp than to worry about whether they've been frozen or not. Unless the shrimp come straight from the net to your kitchen, sometimes the highest quality options are frozen. This is where a trusty fishmonger makes all the  difference.

You can mix up your vegetables with the shrimp, using whatever’s fresh and local. I love to add cauliflower, carrots, daikon, beans, onions, militon, and/or okra.

Ingredients for the brine

• 2 cups rice wine vinegar

• zest and juice of 1 lemon

• zest and juice of 1 orange

• ½  cup sugar

• 5  garlic cloves, thinly sliced

• 1  tbsp. coriander seeds

• 1  tbsp. mustard seeds

• 1  tbsp. peppercorns

• 1  tbsp. red chili flakes

• 2 bay leaves

• pinch of kosher salt

Directions

Combine all the ingredients in a  large saucepan. Add 2 1/2 cups water and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and allow to cool  slightly.

Ingredients for the shrimp

• 1 2 baby carrots

• 1 2 baby beans

• 1 2 pearl onions, peeled

• 1 2 okra pods

• 2 pounds boiled wild American shrimp, peeled and deveined

Directions

Pack all of  the vegetables and shrimp into a very large glass jar, alternating layers. Pour the hot brine into the jar to cover. Cover the jar and let cool. Refrigerate overnight. Serve right from the jar when you’'re ready.