Marinated Shrimp with White Wine Beurre Blanc

Beurre blanc means “white butter” in French, and it is nothing more than cold water whisked into a wine reduction to create an ivory-colored sauce. The secret is to warm the butter over low heat, so it softens to a creamy, pourable sauce without completely melting. Here it is served with marinated, broiled shrimp for a sophisticated first course. If the weather is cooperating, grill the shrimp outdoors.

Makes 8 servings

Make Ahead: The shrimp need to marinate for 30 minutes to 1 hour; the sauce base can be made up to 4 hours ahead.

Ingredients for SHRIMP:
• 1 cup dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio
• 1⁄4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped shallots
• 1⁄2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 24 jumbo, colossal, or U-16 shrimp, peeled and deveined, with tail segment left attached
• Nonstick vegetable oil spray

Ingredients for BEURRE BLANC:
• 2 cups dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio
• 1⁄4 cup coarsely chopped shallots
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 1⁄4 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled, cut into 16 pieces
• Salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste

• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh tarragon
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley

Preparation:
1. To prepare the shrimp, whisk together the wine, oil, shallots, and pepper in a small bowl. Pour into a self-sealing plastic bag. Add the shrimp and refrigerate, turning often, for at least 30 minutes but no longer than 1 hour.

2. To begin the sauce, bring the wine, shallots, vinegar, and peppercorns to a boil in a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan over high heat. Boil until the liquid is reduced to 1⁄4 cup, about 20 minutes. (If preparing the sauce base ahead, cool, cover, and keep at room temperature. Reheat to simmering before proceeding.)

3. Position the broiler rack 6 inches from the heat source and preheat the broiler.

4. To finish the sauce, reduce the heat under the saucepan with the sauce base to very low. One piece at a time, whisk the butter into the sauce base, allowing the butter to soften slowly into a creamy sauce, and letting each piece melt before adding another. If the butter heats too quickly, remove the saucepan from the heat and whisk briskly. Strain the sauce through a wire sieve into a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper. (The sauce can be made up to 15 minutes ahead, covered with aluminum foil, and kept in a warm place. Do not reheat. The sauce is not meant to be piping hot.)

5. Remove the shrimp from the marinade and discard the marinade. Spray the broiler rack with vegetable oil spray. Spread the shrimp on the broiler rack. Broil, turning once, until the shrimp are opaque, about 5 minutes.

6. Mix together the chives, tarragon, and parsley in a small bowl. For each serving, spoon equal amounts of the sauce in the centers of 8 warmed salad plates. Arrange 3 shrimp on each plate, interlocking the shrimp tails so the shrimp stand up. Sprinkle with the herbs and serve immediately.

This recipe was published in 'Christmas 101 - p33'.