Potted Shrimps with Spiced Cauliflower and Apple Velouté

Michelin star chef Ryan Blackburn celebrates the brown shrimp…

Born and bred in Cumbria to a family with a heritage of hospitality, Ryan Blackburn first entered a professional kitchen at the age of eight. He went on to work at with Martin Wishart in Edinburgh, at Holbeck Ghyll and the Cottage in the Wood, Bassenthwaite, where he was awarded Cumbria Chef of the Year. He now owns two restaurants in Ambleside – relaxed dining Kysty and the Old Stamp House, which was awarded its first Michelin star last year. Renowned for creating innovative dishes from humble ingredients, his food is a showcase for the best of Cumbrian produce.

"Brown shrimps for me are one of the tastiest and most under-rated seafoods in the entire country. Fortunately, here in Cumbria we are very lucky to have them landed and available in the south of the county at Flookburgh, on the shores of Morecambe Bay, as well as in the north at Silloth on the Solway Firth.

In both places the traditional method of preparing them is to ‘pot’ them in a butter and spice mix, a recipe which dates back to the 18th Century, which was a way of preserving the excess catch. The added bonus of this process is that the result is thoroughly delicious, a fact not lost on author Ian Fleming who passed on his love of potted shrimps to his foremost creation, none other than James Bond!

Potting is an ancient but effective form of preserving meat, game and fish before the advent of refrigeration. Through potting, surplus food could be kept for a future date without the fear of it turning rancid.

Initially, potting was the preserve (pardon the pun) of the wealthy, bringing together costly spices and the best cuts of meat to create some delicious table delicacies. However, as sea trade links opened up through the ports of Lancaster and Whitehaven, spices became more affordable and the world of potting opened up to entirely new segments of society.

Once potting had taken off, people pretty much potted everything going, including ham, beef, veal, tongue, game, chicken, turkey, woodcock, quail, pigeon fish char, trout, eel, crab, and shrimp, mushrooms and even cheeses.

Shrimps, like all shellfish, aren’t cheap, which isn’t surprising considering how difficult they are to catch and how fiddly they are to peel. Historically, they were caught using a hand net which the fishermen pushed in front of them whilst wading in shallow water. There were two drawbacks to this – the relatively small catch and the obvious danger of being swept away in the strong currents found on the sands of both Morecambe Bay and the Solway Firth.

Subsequently, horses were used to drag a net behind a cart allowing fishermen to venture into deeper waters and harvest a much bigger catch, until tractors took over in the 20th Century.

Today, harvested shrimps are taken off to be processed, which involves them being boiled in sea water for a few seconds to clean them, then they are hand-peeled and further boiled in butter with a secret combination of herbs and spices before being sealed into individual pots with more butter. This delicacy can be eaten either warmed through, or at room temperature, served with freshly-made crusty bread.

We pot our own shrimps at the restaurant using our own secret recipe, which we’ve developed over time based on several traditional methods. However, for ease I would recommend buying them ready potted from Booths or from your local fishmonger for this dish.

The recipe is a simplified version of one of our signature dishes from the Old Stamp House that we have developed for Kysty to showcase the shrimps perfectly, allowing them to shine with contrasting textures of almonds and raisins. "

Morecambe Bay Potted Shrimps with Spiced Cauliflower and Apple Velouté

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 large or 2 medium cauliflowers

1 white onion

1 Braeburn apple

50g butter

1 tbsp mild madras curry powder

1 pinch of saffron (optional)

500ml milk

250ml double cream

250ml boiling water

2 x 50g potted shrimps at room temperature

24 large golden raisins soaked in mead for 24 hours

Toasted almonds (almonds cooked in a hot oven for 3-4 mins until golden brown)

Method

1 Remove the leaves and core from the cauliflower then finely slice the florets. Peel and slice the onion and Braeburn apple.

2 Melt the butter in a large pan over a medium heat until it begins to foam but doesn’t colour. Add the sliced onion and sweat until it softens. Add the curry powder and cook out for a couple of minutes.

3 Add the apple followed immediately by the cauliflower. Season with salt and stir together to coat with the spice, onion and butter.

4 Add the saffron, milk, cream and boiling water. Turn up the heat and cook until the cauliflower and apple are soft (this process is best done as quickly as possible as the cauliflower will become bitter and unpleasant if over-cooked).

5 Transfer to a blender and blend until smooth. At this point use water and salt to adjust the flavour and consistency to your preference.

6 If pre-making for later, cool down as quickly as possible and store in the fridge until required. If serving immediately, divide between four bowls and sprinkle the shrimps over the top along with the almonds and raisins.

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