Pickled Shrimp

Take tender shrimp, cook just until lightly pink around the edges then toss them in a light tangy vinaigrette. Then let them gently marinate in a layer of pickling spices and a variety of savory notes. What a nice chilled little bite that’s perfectly suited for casual or formal entertaining!

Pickled shrimp have been in the recipe files of Southern cooks for generations. It’s a simple appetizer and can hang out in your fridge for easily a week. Growing up in the Texas Panhandle, shrimp were a delicacy. Pickling was a great way to savor their flavor for more than a day or two. Delicately pickled with cider vinegar, capers, a dash or two of Tabasco, fresh celery and celery seeds, dried onions and a generous dash of pickling spices all whisked together in canola oil.

This vinaigrette of sorts creates flavors that are subtle, leaving the shrimp to shine through and still be the star.

Shrimp is now widely available, fresh or frozen and often already peeled and deveined. And if you’re in a hurry with no time to cook the shrimp, you can almost always find cooked shrimp in most fine food markets.

This is the ideal “make ahead” appetizer because you want the shrimp to marinate at least 24 hours. Serve with a cocktail sauce if you like, but they are absolutely wonderful served simply on their own!

Pickled Shrimp

If you need to speed up the process you can start with cooked shrimp from the market. Then just whisk up the vinaigrette and add your shrimp.

For the pickling vinaigrette:

¾ cup canola oil

¾ cup apple cider vinegar

3 tablespoons capers plus the juice

2-½ teaspoons celery seed

1-½ teaspoons kosher salt

¼ teaspoon Tabasco – more if you like

½ teaspoon dried onion

1 tablespoon pickling spices

½ cup chopped celery, including the leaves if they’re on the stalks

For the stock to cook the shrimp:

6 cups water

4 teaspoons kosher salt

½ teaspoon dried onions

½ small lemon

½ cup chopped celery, including the leaves if they’re on the stalks

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

¼ teaspoon Tabasco

¼ teaspoon crab and shrimp boil*

2 pounds raw shrimp, peeled and deveined, 21-24 count per pound

To make the pickling vinaigrette:

Pour the canola oil into a large container, one that holds about 8 cups. Add the cider vinegar along with the capers, celery seed, kosher salt, Tabasco, dried onion, pickling spices, and the chopped celery. Whisk until well blended.

To cook the shrimp:

Pour the water into a large stockpot. Add the kosher salt along with the dried onions, lemon, celery, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, and crab and shrimp boil. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the kosher salt.

Toss in the shrimp, turn off the heat and cover the pan. Allow the shrimp to rest in the cooking liquid for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the shrimp are just cooked through. Take care not to overcook the shrimp.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cooked shrimp to the pickling vinaigrette, stirring to completely cover the shrimp.

Cover and refrigerate at least 24 hours, stirring occasionally. Serve the shrimp well chilled.

Makes 2 pounds of shrimp – about 42 to 48 pieces of shrimp. The shrimp will keep in your fridge for at least a week.

*Crab and shrimp boil can usually be found in the spice aisle.