Shrimp Paste
Submitted by trt9364
Shrimp paste spread made with ground shrimp, creamed butter, nutmeg, and cayenne, topped with toasted bread crumbs and baked until golden. Serve chilled as an appetizer.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
3 minREADY
23 minThis retro shrimp paste is the kind of appetizer that used to anchor every proper cocktail spread. Ground shrimp gets creamed into soft butter with celery salt, cayenne, and a generous hit of nutmeg that you’ll actually taste in the finished spread.
The mixture goes into a baking dish, gets a blanket of toasted bread crumbs, and hits a hot oven just long enough for the top to turn golden and crisp. Then it chills for several hours so the flavors meld and the texture firms up into something you can spread on crackers or crostini.
The nutmeg is the surprise here. It rounds out the shrimp and butter in a way that reads warm and savory rather than sweet. Don’t skip it.
Pro Tips
- Grind the shrimp in a food processor using short pulses. You want a fine paste, not a puree with no texture.
- Make sure the butter is truly soft before creaming, or the shrimp won’t incorporate smoothly.
- Chill for at least 3-4 hours. Overnight is even better for the flavors to develop fully.
Variations
- Add a squeeze of lemon juice and a tablespoon of fresh dill for a brighter, Scandinavian-style spread.
- Swap cayenne for a dash of hot sauce if you want more complex heat.
- Try it on cucumber rounds instead of crackers for a lighter presentation.
Ingredients
Directions
Grind the shrimp very fine.
Cream the butter until soft and add the ground shrimp, mixing well.
Then add the seasonings and combine thoroughly.
Place in an oblong baking dish and sprinkle toast crumbs over the top of the shrimp mixture.
Brown in a hot oven (400 degrees F) for about 3 minutes.
Cool and place in the refrigerator until time to serve (for several hours at least.)
The nutmeg is quite noticeable, although it blends well with the shrimp.
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