Sep 26, 2011
14
reviews
Rate & Review

Pickled Shrimp

Briny, faintly spicy pickled shrimp are a staple of Southern cuisine. In this Georgia-inspired version from from Hugh Acheson's A New Turn in the South (Clarkson Potter, 2011), frozen raw shrimp are a fine substitute for fresh. As Hugh notes in his comment below, if the shrimp remain covered with oil, they'll last for "a good week in the fridge. The longer they sit in their pickle liquid, the picklier they get."

This recipe first appeared in our October 2011 issue along with Wendell Brock's book review "Sweet and Tart: A Southerly Course and A New Turn in the South."
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Pickled Shrimp Enlarge Image Credit: Todd Coleman

MAKES ABOUT 6 CUPS

INGREDIENTS

2 tbsp. Old Bay seasoning
1 lb. (26–30 count) medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
½ tsp. celery seeds
¼ tsp. allspice berries
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
⅓ cup fresh lemon juice
¼ cup packed flat-leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped
1 tbsp. kosher salt
½ tsp. crushed red chile flakes
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
12 dried bay leaves
½ medium yellow onion, thinly sliced lengthwise

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Bring Old Bay and 8 cups water to a boil in a 4-qt. saucepan; add shrimp, reduce heat to low, and cook until shrimp are pink, about 2 minutes. Drain and transfer to bowl of ice water to chill; drain again.

2. Finely grind celery seeds and allspice in a spice grinder; transfer to a bowl and stir in oil, juice, parsley, salt, chile flakes, garlic, and bay leaves. In a 1-qt. glass jar, layer shrimp and onions; pour over oil mixture. Cover with lid; chill overnight before serving.
Pickled Shrimp

This article was first published in Saveur in Issue #141

Ratings & Reviews (14)

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This was very easy to make and delicious.
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Sounds great and can't wait to try it. It also sounds like a great gift. How long will this last?
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If they are covered up with the oil top you should have a good week in the fridge. The longer they sit in their pickle liquid, the picklier they get.
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I'm in the UK so can't get the Old Bay Seasoning. Is there something else I can use?
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These are really great. I think I would use fresh chili peppers next time and I added extra lemon juice (just because we love citrus) that worked really well! Yummy! Will make these again and will be great for parties and gifts! THANK YOU!
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Made this for a party and everyone LOVED it - used a clear glass dish instead of the canning jar for easier access and so you could see the layers, it was really pretty and quite tasty too! I definately plan to make it again! Oh, and I would use less onions next time.
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What an easy and great appetizer. I used cooked large shrimp from Aldi`s, immersing the almost thawed shrimnp in the hot liquid. DH and I nibbled these for 3 days as I was experimenting with the recipe. Will use this at Thanksgiving. Thanks as always to Saveur!!
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MACCBEAN you can make your own Old Bay Seasoning by following this recipe: http://www.food.com/recipe/old-bay-seasoning-11791. Hope this helps.
Have not tried yet but the recipe alone is making my mouth water! I suggest using California garlic for best flavor.
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I like this recipe, however add more lemon juice that it calls for as I think that it needs have little more acid content (my personal taste).

What throws me with it is all the Bay leaves. I have made this a couple times and with the method that Hugh suggests, they end up at the top of the jar, can I layer them somehow?
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These are delicious. I agree that they need a little more acid so I added some white wine vinegar. I also left the allspice and celery seed whole.
Going to try this but ended up buying precooked shrimp. WIll it make a difference?
Going to try this but ended up buying precooked shrimp. WIll it make a difference?
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This is the most oily thing I have every eaten. Even if you double the lemon juice it is still oily.
Pickled Shrimp 4 5 6 14

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