Sous Vide Shrimp

July 25, 2010

Sous Vide Shrimp

Sous vide turns shrimp cooking from a matter of seconds into a matter of minutes. Dropped in a pot or a pan, shrimp goes from underdone to rubbery in the time it takes to plate the rest of dinner. Held in a precise water bath instead, the same shrimp can sit at exactly the right temperature for twenty minutes or forty-five and come out the same either way - tender, plump, and never dry.

The shrimp is brined first in kosher salt and baking soda, the same alkaline trick used to velvet meat for stir-fries. Thirty minutes in that brine firms up the flesh so it holds its texture through the bath instead of turning soft and chalky. From there it goes into a bag with butter and sliced garlic and cooks fully submerged, so the shrimp poaches gently in its own garlic butter rather than boiling or steaming. Depending on the exact water temperature, the result ranges from soft and almost custardy to a firmer, snappier bite close to a classic poached shrimp - this version sits in the middle of that range, tender with a bit of resistance left in it.

This isn’t a dish with roots in any one place. It belongs to the water bath itself, and to whatever direction you want to take the seasoning - garlic butter here, but paprika and sherry or Dijon and tarragon work the same way in the bag. What stays constant is the low, steady temperature and the brine that makes it possible.

Serve it straight from the bag with crusty bread to catch the butter, or tip the butter into a hot pan for a minute to concentrate it before tossing the shrimp back through off the heat. Either way, a squeeze of lemon and a scattering of parsley at the end brightens the whole thing. It works as a fast weeknight main over rice or pasta, or scaled down as a starter, and it holds up well next to a simple green salad.

Ingredients

Serves 4

680 g large shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails on or off as preferred
1 tsp kosher salt
½ tsp baking soda
3 tbsp unsalted butter
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice, optional, for serving
fresh parsley, chopped, for serving, optional

Directions

Toss the shrimp with the kosher salt and baking soda in a bowl and let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. This alkaline brine is what keeps the shrimp firm and plump through the low, slow cook instead of turning soft and mushy.

While the shrimp brines, heat a water bath to 131°F (55°C).

Transfer the brined shrimp to a vacuum bag or a heavy-duty zipper-lock bag along with the butter and sliced garlic. Spread the shrimp into a single layer and seal the bag, removing as much air as possible by vacuum or by the water-displacement method.

Submerge the bag fully in the water bath and cook for 20 to 30 minutes. The shrimp holds well up to about 45 minutes at this temperature without overcooking, so there’s no need to rush it out the moment the timer hits.

Lift the bag from the bath. The shrimp is ready to eat straight from the bag, or for more flavor, pour the garlic butter into a small skillet and simmer it for a minute or two to concentrate it, then toss the shrimp through briefly off the heat - just enough to coat, not enough to cook it further.

Finish with a squeeze of lemon juice and a scattering of chopped parsley, and serve hot.

Notes

Texture moves with temperature. At 125°F (52°C) the shrimp is translucent and very soft, almost custardy - close to a crudo texture. At 130°F (54°C) it’s nearly opaque and very tender with just a hint of firmness. At 132°F (55.6°C) - close to this recipe’s target - it’s tender with a bit of bite, the most commonly recommended sweet spot. At 135°F (57°C) it’s barely opaque, moist, and a touch more structured. At 140°F (60°C) it reaches a traditional poached texture with real snap - go any hotter and it turns tough and rubbery.

Cook time is forgiving at any of these temperatures, from about 15 minutes up to an hour, which is the whole advantage of sous vide over stovetop poaching, where the window between perfect and overcooked is only a few seconds.

A quick sear, 30 to 60 seconds a side in a very hot pan or with a torch, is an optional finish for color and aroma, but it’s never necessary - unlike red meat, sous vide shrimp is fully cooked and safe to eat straight from the bag.

Frozen shrimp can go into the bath without thawing first; add about 10 minutes to the cook time. Shell-on shrimp needs about 5 minutes more than peeled.