Pickled shrimp

Every year, my mother-in-law throws a party the Saturday before Christmas, and this year, I planned to bring pickled shrimp. I mentioned this to my New Orleans native neighbor, Sara, while describing to her the dish’s flavors and textures. It’s a longstanding appetizer in my hometown, Columbus, Ga., and has earned a spot in the city’s three successive Junior League cookbooks.

“Sounds good,” said Sara. “Except for the name.”

Indeed, pickled shrimp doesn’t have the promising ring of Louisiana’s common shrimp applications. Shrimp Creole, shrimp cocktail, shrimp and corn soup and shrimp po’boy sound a lot more appetizing. Pickled is something you do to cucumbers or pig’s feet. But I am a sucker for anything tangy with a hint of herby sweetness, and after having successfully served pickled shrimp to my husband’s dubious extended family last weekend, I’m here to recommend this useful holiday dish.

It may be more common in other parts of the south—I sat next to a Hattiesburg, Miss. grandmother at “The Nutcracker, A Tale from the Bayou,” who has served the dish for years. It’s also beloved in Charleston, which claims to have created it. And it’s similar to a Mobile, Ala. recipe from the late forties called West Indies Salad—fresh crab marinated overnight in oil, vinegar, onion and black pepper. Pickled shrimp is redolent with flavors that naturally whet the appetite like citrus, bay, onion, vinegar and celery seed. It works well on a cocktail buffet. And here’s the thing that my mother-in-law appreciated most: it’s a make ahead dish that protected her kitchen from my messy reach.

The basic principle is that you peel, devein and cook fresh shrimp, and marinate them in the fridge overnight (or more) with things like onions, lemon slices, celery leaves and an acidic dressing. The day of the event, arrange the flavored-up shrimp on a platter with lettuce leaves, onions and lemons from the marinade. Serve it with toothpicks or leave the shrimp tails on when you peel them. They’re easy to eat standing up and contrast nicely with fried food and carving stations. Our love of shrimp, our enjoyment of pronounced flavors and our lush party scene make this is winning Louisiana dish.

Here’s a recipe adapted from the book “Frank Stitt’s Southern Table.” It’s similar to the recipe I used.

Maggie Heyn Richardson’s work has appeared in Eating Well, Taste of the South, WRKF and on the national public radio program, On Point. She writes about food and wine for 225, and is currently working on a book about Louisiana foodways. Follow her on Twitter, @mhrwriter, and email your comments to [email protected]