Potted shrimps recipe

Potted shrimps

Traditionally this dish is made with a lot of butter so the shrimps are completely covered over. In this recipe, I have cut back on the amount slightly so you still get a few shrimps poking through the top. The cayenne gives it a lovely piquaney, but feel free to add more or less depending on how much warmth you prefer.

200g salted butterA good pinch ground maceA good pinch freshly grated nutmegA good pinch cayenne pepperFreshly ground black pepper1 tbsp finely sliced chivesZest of � a lemon, finely chopped250g brown shrimps or prawns, cooked and peeled

1 Put 100g of the butter into a saucepan and allow to melt over a low heat. Remove the pan from the heat and leave the melted butter to cool, but not set. This will allow the milk solids to sink to the bottom of the pan so you can spoon off the clear, clarified butter later.

2 Place the rest of the butter, the spices, cayenne and a good amount of black pepper into a saucepan and melt slowly over a low heat. When it has melted, remove from the heat and add the chives, lemon zest and shrimps, folding it together.

3 Divide the shrimp mixture between four good-sized ramekins. Take the pan with the melted butter, and spoon the clarified butter over the ramekins (tilting the pan slightly will help you get the butter more easily).

4 Cover the ramekins with cling film and chill for one-and-a-half hours.

5 Remove the potted shrimps from the fridge and serve with warm Melba toast or crusty bread.