This is a recipe for poached shrimp. This is one of those very special recipes. Every bite a treat. The cream sauce is simmered and reduced using chicken broth and saffron. Rich, savory and elegant and wonderful. Dragging each bite through the silky cream leads to a delightful pairing of flavors. Give this Ale Poached Shrimp in Saffron Cream Sauce a try.
I finally broke down and paid $10 for a pinch of saffron at the market. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had it in my hand and wondered if the cost really justified the flavor.
Would saffron really add that much of a difference to my recipe?
When I saw this Ale Poached Shrimp in Saffron Cream Sauce recipe over at Food and Wine, I knew it was time to break the bank and give it try. Just like the $600 I spent on Rolling Stones Tickets, let me say this, it was worth every single penny.
This is one of those very special recipes. Every bite is a treat.
The cream sauce is simmered and reduced using chicken broth and saffron. The end result is rich, savory and elegant. Wonderful to be exact. Dragging each shrimp and each bite of asparagus through the silky cream leads to a delightful pairing of flavors.
The recipe indicates to pour the cream sauce through a sieve before serving. I didn’t do that and we didn’t notice anything but good.
The shrimp is simply poached in Belgium Leffe Blond Ale. This ale is stunning in color and fresh and fruity in flavor, adding a nice zing to the shrimp. Opening another bottle while the meal was cooking, we sipped. Both of us thought it was one of the best beers we’ve ever had. Here’s a description from Leffe’s website:
While this is a perfect aperitif beer, it also tastes delicious with a wide variety of dishes, especially red meat, sweet and sour dishes and white mould cheese, such as Camenbert, Brie, Brillat-Savarin or Saint-Marcellin. There are countless soft-centred cheeses that are a good match for the fresh and fruity Leffe Blond. Leffe Blond contains 6.6% alcohol and is best served at 5-6°C in a beer chalice, which will allow all the flavours to come through.
Back to the meal, we loved every special bite. You may want to consider this one for Valentine’s Day.
Ale Poached Shrimp in Saffron Cream Sauce Recipe
I hope you give this poached shrimp recipe a try and if you do, please come back and give the recipe a star rating. And leave a comment about your experience with this recipe. I love hearing from my readers.
And if you have a favorite poached shrimp recipe, please let me know, I’d love to give it a try.
More special occasion shrimp recipes:
And if you’re looking for more seafood recipes, don’t miss my Seafood Category. You’ll find lots of great recipes, including the most popular seafood recipe on my site for Heavenly Halibut.
Ale Poached Shrimp in Saffron Cream Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 green onions white and light green parts only, thinly sliced
- 2 Cups heavy cream
- 2 Cups Chicken Broth
- Pinch of saffron threads
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- ounce Two 12- bottles Belgian-style blond ale such as Leffe
- 1 1/4 pounds shelled and deveined large shrimp tails left on
- 1 pound thick asparagus—woody ends trimmed tips halved lengthwise and stalks thinly sliced crosswise
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, melt the butter in the extra-virgin olive oil. Add the green onions and cook over moderate heat until softened, about 2 minutes.
- Add the heavy cream, chicken stock and saffron and bring just to a boil. Simmer over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is reduced to 1 3/4 cups, about 15 minutes. Strain the sauce through a fine sieve into a small saucepan and season with salt and pepper. Keep the saffron sauce warm over low heat, stirring occasionally.
- Meanwhile, in a large, deep saucepan, bring the ale just to a simmer. Add the shrimp and poach over moderate heat until they are just cooked through, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the shrimp to a plate, pat dry and season with salt and pepper.
- In a medium saucepan of salted boiling water, blanch the asparagus pieces until they are crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the asparagus to paper towels to drain.
- Spoon the saffron sauce into shallow bowls, top with the blanched asparagus and poached shrimp and serve.
Nutrition
Poached Shrimp in Saffron Cream Sauce …It’s what’s for a Special Dinner.
Wow, that looks amazing Lea Ann! I love cooking with beer, and I bet those shrimp are delicious!! Thank you so much for sharing with us at Best of the Weekend. Pinned to our party board. 🙂
Thanks so much for stopping in and the comment Lisa. Thanks for that pin and the link party.
This looks so flavorful. I wish Costco sold saffron! 😉
Wouldn’t that be nice? Costco size would probably only cost $2,000 🙂
Ah yes! I do catch up, but it takes awhile. Love saffron and shrimp and this looks superb! Great photo!
Thanks Abbe. This one was special.
Such a beautiful and delicious post! The photos and your description made my mouth water. I always add beer to my boil, but not just straight beer – did you add anything to it? I am so going to do this next time I make shrimp. As for saffron (me precious) I buy beautiful little jars of it at TJMaxx when it shows up in their gourmet section. LOVE what it does to a cream sauce or risotto. This sounds like such a special meal!
Risotto and saffron is next up on my list. I’ve heard that TJ Maxx sells it. I really need to go in there more often. It’s silly that I don’t, we have one so close. It’s just that the parking lot is hell! No, I didn’t add anything to the beer.
Stumbled onto this great site via a google search, and just realized you are in the building next to mine. Mind… blown…
Sometimes the ‘net is a small world after all. Can’t wait to try this recipe
Saffron is so expensive, but so, so worth it! This looks totally wonderful — thanks.
I wish I hadn’t waited so long to buy it. Thanks for stopping by John.
saffron cream sauce sounds delicious!
Thanks Sarah and Arkadi! 🙂
That’s absolute perfection, Lea Ann! Fabulous presentation too! Sounds delicious and I can almost taste those shrimp dipped into the sauce.
Thanks Barbara. We really enjoyed this meal.
I found some cheap small jars at TJ Maxx (my store!). We had some delicious saffron cream sauce with chicken at a recent cooking class (that I hope to post about soon). This looks delicious and well worth the cost. Sometimes the best things in life are worth it!
Thanks Debra. I really need to browse the kitchen section of TJ Maxx more often. And I can’t wait to hear about that recipe.
Im so hungry I could eat this for breakfast!
I did the next morning. I had enough for a little bit of leftovers.
You are right, sometimes it’s good to splurge.. and this definitely looks like one of those times!!!
Thanks Jenn.
Beautiful dish, Lea Ann! You’ve convinced me to buy saffron. I also have looked at it many times on the shelf and haven’t been sure that I need it but now I know better, thanks!
I’m wondering about the Indian Market at University and County Line. I’m going to check the prices there.
Thanks for the beer tip.
Oh yea – the dish looks good too.
I don’t even like beer and I loved this one.
You had me at ale.. But then I began admiring the photos (in the same way we were taught to view art). Gorgeous. Culinary masterpiece.
Thanks so much Adam.
Lea Ann this recipe and the photos are blowing my mind right now! Wow!!
Thank you so much Robyn!
That is one gorgeous plate Lea Ann. I wish I could reach right in and drag one of the beautiful shrimp through the sauce. I will definitely be making this. I have poached shrimp in beer in the past and found it to be an excellent way to cook them.
Sam
I wish you could too Sam. We really thought this was delicious.