Gulf prawns sautéed in olive oil, served with an orange beurre blanc sauce, a butter sauce with orange zest, white wine and shallots.
At a recent cooking class at Scott’s Seafood (Folsom, CA), chef David Lamonica commissioned us to prepare shrimp with orange beurre blanc (a French butter and shallot sauce).
Chef David says the best shrimp are fresh, white shrimp from the Gulf of Mexico, still in the shell. White gulf shrimp are firm and sweet.
If you choose shrimp, they should be firm and smell sweet. If you see any yellowing at all, pass it on.
Prawns with Orange Beurre Blanc
ingredients
- shrimp ingredients
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Fresh Gulf of Mexico Prawns – 6 per person or about 1/4 pound per person
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Extra virgin olive oil
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salt and pepper
- sauce ingredients
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(Sauce also posted here. Makes 1 cup, enough for 4-6 servings. Divide or multiply as needed.)
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2 oranges
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1/2 cup (120 ml) white wine
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2 teaspoons chopped shallots
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1/2 pound (2 sticks, 225 g) cold unsalted butter
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salt and white pepper
method
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Peel and devein the shrimp:
Work with the shrimp one at a time and leave the rest in a bowl of ice water. Hold the body of the shrimp and use your fingers to peel off the head if it’s still attached, and then the legs.
Start at the head end and gently peel off the shell. Use your fingernails or a knife to cut into the base shell segment.
Remove the shrimp completely from their shells. Lay the shrimp flat on a cutting board and use a small, sharp knife to make a shallow cut down the back of the shrimp.
You may see a dark, vein-like intestinal tract running through the meat. Use your fingers or the sharp tip of a knife to remove. When done, place each shrimp in a bowl of ice water to keep them cool. Set aside while you prepare the sauce.
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Make Orange Syrup:
Zest 1/2 of an orange (about 2 teaspoons) and juice from 2 oranges (about 3/4 cup). Place the juice, zest, wine, and shallots in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook until syrupy and almost gone.
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Stir in butter:
Over low heat, whisk in the butter continuously and vigorously, 1 tablespoon at a time. Butter is the only emulsifier for this sauce, and adding it slowly while stirring constantly gives the sauce a silky smooth texture. Don’t let the sauce boil. salt and pepper to taste. Keep warm while you continue with the shrimp.
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Fry shrimp:
Heat a pan over medium heat. Drain shrimp and brush with olive oil. When the pan is hot, add the shrimp and sprinkle with some salt and pepper.
Cook the shrimp for about 45 seconds on each side. Add a little more olive oil if needed to keep the shrimp from sticking to the pan. Do not overcook or the shrimp will become tough and rubbery.
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Drizzle with sauce:
Drizzle Beurre Blanc sauce over the shrimp or serve in a separate small container for dipping.
