Sauced Shrimp

This sauced shrimp is a smart, two-stage poach that wrings way more flavor out of frozen shrimp than any quick saute. The first step is a brief plunge into a court bouillon of lemon, onion, and pickling spice, which gently thaws the shrimp while infusing them with aromatic broth.

The sauce itself is a Mediterranean-leaning tomato-and-white-wine reduction with grated onion melting almost invisibly into the pan. The grated onion is the trick, it dissolves into the sauce instead of staying chunky, giving body and sweetness without textural distraction.

Adding the shrimp at the very end with just enough heat to warm them through is critical. They’ve already half-cooked in the poaching liquid, and another full simmer turns them rubbery and sad.

Pro Tips

• Don’t skip the pickling spice in the poach, those mixed warm spices subtly perfume the shrimp in a way plain salted water can’t match.
• Grate the onion on the large holes of a box grater, the resulting pulp melts cleanly into the sauce.
• Use canned whole tomatoes and crush them by hand into the pan, they give better flavor than pre-diced canned tomatoes.
• Reduce the wine and tomato sauce a full 15 minutes uncovered so it thickens and concentrates before the shrimp go in.

Variations

• Stir a tablespoon of capers and a quarter cup of pitted Kalamata olives into the sauce for a Provencal twist.
• Add a pinch of red pepper flakes and a splash of cream at the end for a fra diavolo style heat with richness.
• Serve over orzo or bulgur instead of rice for a different grain pairing.