Subj : Lancashire Shrimping
To   : All
From : Ben Collver
Date : Mon Nov 03 2025 05:53:22

MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.06
 
      Title: Lancashire Shrimping (18th Century Style)
 Categories: Seafood, Shrimp
      Yield: 1 servings
 
    600 ml Shrimp; boiled
    125 g  Butter; Danish or French
           - preferred
    1/4 ts Powdered mace
      1 pn Grated nutmeg
      1 pn Cayenne
           Clarified butter
           Brown bread and butter
 
  Shrimps--mainly the brown "Crangon crangon"--were fished by boat,
  sometimes by horse and cart in water up to 5 feet deep, along the
  sandy breasts of the Morcombe bay channels. The hard ridged bottoms
  of the bay made the trawl bump and vibrate, a horrible feeling
  transmitted through the boat. The shrimps were boiled on board in
  seawater to which extra salt had been added, the water being heated
  in coal-fired boilers. First they were put into the cod end of an old
  trawl net, then dunked into the boiling water--the colour changed
  through green to red--and finally put overboard to cool off rapidly
  in the sea. A rough trade, and for the men with horses and carts,
  sometimes a painful one, if they happened to tread on the poisoned
  spine of the submerged weever fish.
  
  When the boats returned to shore, the womenfolk and children of the
  fishermen were waiting to "pick" the shrimp and "pot" them in spiced
  butter... a task which often meant working until 3 or 4 in the
  morning. The "Factories Act", and cheaper imported shrimp, has now
  seen an end to this traditional trade. A few hardy individuals still
  work the bay using methods that their forebears perfected.
  
  Today's shrimp, cold stored or frozen, do not lend themselves to
  "potting". If you happen to have fresh shrimp available then try this
  old Lancashire method of preparing them. Traditionalists should use
  Danish butter as this is the only butter ever used in this localized
  potting industry. For every 600 ml of picked (shelled) shrimp you
  need 125 g of butter, melted with 1/4 ts powdered mace, a pinch of
  cayenne, and some grated nutmeg. Heat all together thoroughly. Put
  into small pots and cover with a 1/2" layer of clarified butter when
  cool, and then foil. Refrigerate for 24 hours. The potted shrimp
  should keep for 3 or 4 days if refrigerated and covered with at least
  1/2" of clarified butter. Serve with brown bread and butter.
  
  Danish, or French, butter is made differently to British (and most US)
  butters and has a milder flavor which is well-suited to this dish.
  
  Recipe by Ron Curtis
 
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