Chermoula Potted Shrimp with Carrot and Preserved Lemon Pickle
As an occasional treat, I love a pot of the famous delicately spiced Morecambe Bay potted shrimps, and they are very easy to make yourself at home too
For my own bolder recipe, I add a touch of Moroccan chermoula spices to the shrimp, then serve with plenty of crusty sourdough with a punchy pickle on the side. Serve as an elegant starter when entertaining friends and family, then close your eyes and feel transported from the chilly bays of Lancashire to the more glamorous climes of Casablanca.
Serves
4
Ingredients
- 120g good salted butter
- 200g brown shrimp
- 8 slices of sourdough bread
- For the chermoula paste
- 1⁄2 garlic clove, finely chopped
- a good pinch of flaky sea salt
- a large handful each of fresh coriander/cilantro and parsley, chopped, plus extra to serve
- 1⁄2 tsp ground cumin
- 1⁄2 tsp sweet paprika
- 1⁄4 tsp ground turmeric
- grated zest and juice of 1⁄2 lemon
- 1 tsp olive oil
- For the carrot and preserved lemon pickle
- 1⁄2 tsp cumin seeds
- 75ml/5 tbsp cider vinegar
- 80g caster sugar
- 2 large carrots (about 250g in total), peeled and grated
- 1 preserved lemon, pips removed, finely diced
- 2cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
- 1⁄2 red chilli, finely diced
- 1 garlic clove, grated
- salt, to taste
Method
To make the chermoula paste, put the garlic and a good pinch of salt in a pestle and mortar and pound to a paste. Add the coriander and parsley and pound again until it is broken down into a paste, then stir in the dried spices, lemon zest and juice, and oil.
Melt the butter for the potted shrimp gently in a saucepan, then turn off the heat. Stir in the chermoula paste, then, once incorporated, stir in the shrimp. Scoop the shrimp out of the pan using a slotted spoon, to leave most of the butter in the pan, and divide the shrimp evenly among four ramekin dishes, pressing them down gently to level the tops. Pour over the remaining butter and place them in the refrigerator to set completely.
Meanwhile, make the pickle. Put the cumin seeds in a dry saucepan and toast over a low heat until fragrant and deep brown in colour. Add the vinegar and sugar, and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Add the remaining ingredients and stir everything together well. Simmer over a medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste and season with salt, then leave to cool completely. This will keep in a jar in the refrigerator for a week.
When you are ready to serve, toast the bread slices and serve them with the little pots of shrimps and carrot pickle, for spreading onto the toasts. Scatter over some extra parsley for a bit of colour if you like.
