Grilled leeks with Morecambe Bay shrimps

Mark Hix
·2-min read
Plate with leeks and shrimps
If you can’t find shrimps in the shell, you can swap them for small UK prawns - Matt Austin

Brown shrimps are a classic British delicacy, but it’s a shame we rarely come across them in their raw, shell-on form these days – they’re usually sold already potted in butter. If you can’t find them in the shell, you could swap them for small UK prawns or even take a shortcut by using potted shrimps and letting the flavoured butter double as your sauce.

For this recipe, I used shell-on brown shrimps and made the most of the shells by turning them into a stock, giving an extra boost of flavour to the buttery sauce the shrimps are coated in

Overview

Prep time

25 mins

Cook time

55 mins

Serves

2

Ingredients

  • 250g shell-on brown shrimps or 100g potted shrimps

  • 2 leeks, trimmed

  • 750ml vegetable stock (or 750ml water with ½ stock cube)

  • vegetable or corn oil, for brushing

  • 2 tbsp finely chopped chives

For the sauce, if making

  • shells from the shrimps (or prawns, if substituting)

  • 1 garlic clove, chopped

  • 2 sprigs of thyme, leaves picked

  • ½ tsp tomato purée

  • pinch of paprika

  • 80g cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes

Method

Step 1

Peel 250g shell-on brown shrimps or 100g potted shrimps and put the meat to one side.

Step 2

Halve 2 trimmed leeks to make 4 shorter lengths (cutting them horizontally, not lengthways) and put them in a large pan with 750ml vegetable stock. Bring to the boil and simmer for 6-7 minutes, or until just cooked but not falling apart. Remove from the pan and leave to cool on a plate.

Step 3

Put the shells and the rest of the rest of the ingredients for the sauce, except 80g cold unsalted butter, in a pan with 450ml of stock from the leeks. Simmer gently for about 30 minutes.

Step 4

Strain through a fine-meshed sieve into a clean pan and boil until reduced to just a couple of tablespoons. Reduce the heat right down then whisk in the cubes of butter a few at a time, until emulsified, and season to taste. You will not need much salt so make sure to taste before seasoning.

Step 5

Heat a ribbed griddle pan or frying pan until just starting to smoke. Halve the cooled leek pieces lengthways, brush a little oil on the pan then season and grill the leeks, cut-side down, for 3-4 minutes.

Step 6

Meanwhile, warm the sauce with the shrimps and 2 tbsp finely chopped chives and season again if necessary. Arrange the leeks on serving plates and spoon over the shrimps and butter sauce.

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