Citrus-Marinated Shrimp
This colorful, tangy appetizer is a refreshing change from the traditional shrimp cocktail. I like to combine the briny shrimp with bay scallops, the tiny, sweet variety. Watch carefully when cooking the seafood—it can overcook quickly, resulting in a rubbery consistency. If you are serving this dish with cocktails, put out some pretty toothpicks for spearing. The seafood can also be offered as a first course. For convenience and to save time, ask your fishmonger to peel and devein the shrimp for you. Serve a chilled Sauvignon Blanc or sparkling wine to accompany the seafood.
This colorful, tangy appetizer is a refreshing change from the traditional shrimp cocktail. I like to combine the briny shrimp with bay scallops, the tiny, sweet variety. Watch carefully when cooking the seafood—it can overcook quickly, resulting in a rubbery consistency. If you are serving this dish with cocktails, put out some pretty toothpicks for spearing. The seafood can also be offered as a first course. For convenience and to save time, ask your fishmonger to peel and devein the shrimp for you. Serve a chilled Sauvignon Blanc or sparkling wine to accompany the seafood.
- 1 bay leaf
- marinade:
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 2 cups water
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- shrimp:
- salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 3/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 1/4 cups olive oil
- pinch red pepper flakes
- 2 cups dry white wine such as sauvignon blanc or pinot gris
- 1 1/2 lbs medium shrimp peeled & deveined
- 1 1/2 lbs bay scallops
- 1 red bell pepper seeded, thinly sliced & cut into 2 inch lengths
- 1 yellow bell pepper seeded, thinly sliced & cut into 2 inch lengths
- 1 red onion halved & thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup kalamata olives pitted & coarsely chopped
- 1 lemon meyer if possible, halved & thinly sliced, optional
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley finely chopped
- red leaf lettuce for serving
- Carbohydrate 6.31025286803559 g
- Cholesterol 87.174783609375 mg
- Fat 6.15448386619921 g
- Fiber 1.13497497236352 g
- Protein 19.2182412678096 g
- Saturated Fat 0.860972735170509 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (199g)
- Sodium 228.813983284635 mg
- Sugar 5.17527789567207 g
- Trans Fat 0.712700648704564 g
- Calories 161 calories
Step-by-step
- To make the marinade: Place all the ingredients in a medium nonaluminum bowl. Whisk just until combined. Taste & adjust the seasonings.
- In a large saucepan, combine the water, wine & bay leaf over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil. Add the shrimp. Cover & cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the shrimp are pink on the outside & just cooked in the center.
- Remove the shrimp with a slotted spoon to a deep bowl or large rectangular plastic container. Return the cooking liquid to a boil, add the scallops & cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the center of each scallop is opaque.
- Remove the scallops with the slotted spoon & add to the shrimp.
- Add the red & yellow bell peppers, onion, olives, lemon (if using) & parsley to the seafood. Pour in the marinade & stir well to combine the ingredients & to coat the seafood. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to overnight, stirring the seafood occasionally to marinate evenly.
- To serve: Arrange the lettuce on a large platter & using a slotted spoon, top with the seafood mixture. Drizzle a little of the marinade over the seafood. Serve with small plates & forks or toothpicks. Or, serve on individual plates as a first course.
Precision Timing in the Poaching Liquid
Shrimp and bay scallops overcook in seconds because their muscle fibers tighten rapidly above 140 degrees Fahrenheit, squeezing out moisture and leaving behind a rubbery texture. Boiling the water and dry wine mixture first ensures proper heat transfer before introducing the protein. Watch for the moment the shrimp turn pink on the outside and opaque through the center, taking exactly 3 to 4 minutes before immediately removing them with a slotted spoon. Scallops require an even shorter window of 2 to 3 minutes because of their smaller surface area to mass ratio. Pulling the seafood precisely at these visual cues prevents proteins from denaturing past optimal tenderness.
Scaling Batch Sizes and Acid Dynamics
Multiplying or dividing this formulation requires maintaining the precise ratio of 3/4 cup fresh lemon juice to 1 1/4 cups olive oil to properly emulsify the marinade without overwhelming the delicate seafood. Acidity denatures surface proteins chemically during the four-hour minimum refrigeration window, acting as a cold cook that firms the exterior while the interior remains succulent. Double batch yields demand a nonaluminum bowl such as glass or stainless steel, because reactive metals like copper or aluminum leach metallic flavors into high-acid citrus liquids over extended resting periods up to overnight.
