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ALDI, who I am so proud to partner & share with you throughout 2021! ALDI has everything you need to prepare for this holiday season’s festive meals, all at affordable prices. All thoughts & opinions are my own.
this Recipe for Later!
Prosecco + Butter + Shrimp…What Could Be Better?
Of all of the food seasons throughout the year, the holiday season between Thanksgiving & New Year’s Eve is easily my favorite. With the promise of joyous holiday festivities on the horizon, everything feels a liiiittle more special.
Of course, that’s something I really lean into. Whether we’re having friends over for one last get-together before the holidays or Chris & I are cozying in for a winter date night at home, I love to bust out my favorite festive special occasion recipes this time of year. Today’s recipe totally fits the bill!
I don’t know if I can think of anything more special than these Prosecco Butter Poached Shrimp. Colossal shrimp slowly simmer in an aromatic butter sauce infused with reduced Prosecco wine, garlic, & lemon. Thanks to the gentle nature of poaching, the shrimp cook to absolute perfection. They’re juicy, tender, but – most importantly – they take on all of the garlicky, lemony, Prosecco-y flavor of the butter sauce. It’s ridiculously good.
And you’d never guess it, but these Prosecco butter poached shrimp could not be easier to make! It’s a 5-ingredient recipe that takes no more than 35 minutes to throw together. They’re great on their own, served tapas-style with crusty bread, but they’re also an absolutely amazing topper for creamy risotto or pasta. Seriously, it’s the ultimate easy-yet-fancy dish, whether you’re hosting friends & family or you’re just in the mood to treat yourself to something special.
We’re sharing this recipe in partnership with ALDI, which I couldn’t be more stoked about since it stars a few of my all-time favorite ALDI ingredients, the award winning Belletti Prosecco (so crisp & high-quality!) & Specially Selected Black Tiger Shrimp (absolutely gorgeous & ridiculously well-priced!). Round it out with a few other high-quality staples from ALDI like organic butter & fresh lemons & garlic, & you have the best special occasion dinner – no one would even guess how simple & affordable it was to throw together.
And really, is there anything better than that?! ♡ Read on to learn more about this Prosecco Poached Shrimp recipe, or jump straight to the recipe to plan your next ALDI run & get cooking!
Key Ingredients for Prosecco Butter Poached Shrimp
Despite how seriously elegant it feels to serve & enjoy this dish, the really fun thing about this prosecco butter poached shrimp recipe is that it’s actually quite simple. You need just 5 key ingredients to make it, all of which are available at ALDI!
Note: Full ingredients list & measurements provided in the Recipe Card, below.
You will need…
- Shrimp – While you can poach shrimp of any size, this butter poached shrimp was developed with ‘colossal’ shrimp in mind, about U/13 – U/15. The “U” designation is a measure of size, indicating how many individual pieces make a pound. The smaller the U designation, the larger the shrimp (i.e. U/15 shrimp are larger than U/25 shrimp because only 15 individual shrimp make up 1 pound vs 25). Suggested shrimp ⇢ I am a huge, huge fan of Specially Selected Black Tiger Shrimp. Wild-caught & BAP certified, the quality is absolutely outstanding &, of course, the price cannot be beat! Plus, they’re already deveined with ‘easy peel’ shells, so prep is limited to simply thawing them out – so easy!
- Sparkling wine – You can make this recipe using any nice dry sparkling white wine. Italian Prosecco is my absolute favorite, so that’s what I’ve chosen to use here. Learn all about Prosecco below!
- Butter –Plain & simple! Since it’s one of the primary flavors of the dish, it’s important to use nice butter with rich flavor for these butter poached shrimp. I love Simply Nature Organic Salted Butter.
- Aromatics – To infuse the Prosecco butter poaching liquid with a little more flavor. I like to keep it really simple with just some fresh garlic & lemon. ALDI often carries Meyer lemons this time of year, which are a cross between lemons & mandarins – they’d also be fantastic in this recipe!
Ingredient Spotlight
All About Prosecco
- What is Prosecco? ⇢Prosecco is an effervescent Italian wine produced in Northeast Italy. It’s light, fresh, & crisp – it’s my personal favorite sparkling wine!
- Is Prosecco the same as Champagne? ⇢ While they’re both sparkling wines, Champagne & Prosecco are very different. For starters, Champagne is only produced in a very specific region in France while Prosecco is only produced in a very specific area in Italy. Plus, they’re made with different grapes & methods, creating entirely different flavor profiles. While Champagne has delicate bubbles & a more rounded flavor, Prosecco is a little lighter & brighter.
- Suggested Prosecco for this Prosecco butter poached shrimp recipe? ⇢ Available at ALDI, the Belletti Proseccois seriously amazing. It’s DOC certified, meaning it’s authentic Italian Prosecco, & it’s so good that it’s been awarded with a 90 Point Gold Rating from the Beverage Testing Institute, one of the premier wine reviewers in America.
How to Poach Shrimp in Butter
Building off the simplicity of its ingredients list, this butter poached shrimp recipe is so simple to make. You need just one pot & the stove practically does all of the work!
Full Recipe Directions, including step-by-step photos, are included in the Recipe Card, below.
1
Reduce the Prosecco.Add the Prosecco to a saucepan, bring it to a boil, & let it simmer until it’s reduced by half. Why? ⇢Reducing the Prosecco concentrates its flavor. Since it’s the base of the poaching liquid, this simple step helps ensure the poached shrimp take on all of the Prosecco’s bright & fruity notes.
2
Prepare the poaching liquid.Once the Prosecco is reduced, it’s time to prepare the poaching liquid. Whisk in some lemon juice & butter, creating a smooth & creamy sauce, then add in crushed garlic cloves & thinly sliced lemon to perfume the sauce with lemony-garlicky goodness. Tip! ⇢Whisk the butter into the poaching liquid just a few tablespoons at a time, which emulsifies it into a creamy sauce & helps prevent the poaching liquid from breaking.
3
Poach the shrimp.Working a few shrimp at a time, submerge the shrimp into the Prosecco butter sauce. The shrimp are perfectly poached once the shells are bright pink & the flesh is opaque, about 2-3 minutes. Tip! ⇢Maintaining a really gentle simmer is crucial for properly poaching the shrimp. If it boils or simmers too vigorously, the the poaching liquid may break & the shrimp will become tough & chewy. Luckily, this is pretty easy to avoid – simply keep an eye on the pot & proactively adjust the heat as needed to maintain a very gentle simmer.
* Poached Shrimp Tip!
Wondering when you should peel the shrimp? When it comes to these butter poached shrimp, I like to leave the shells on for the poaching process. Since they hold a ton of flavor, leaving the shells on infuses even more richness into the Prosecco butter poaching liquid & results in even tastier & full-flavored poached shrimp. As a bonus, the shells act as a protective barrier for the shrimp as they cook, helping prevent tough or chewy poached shrimp. Peel the poached shrimp just before serving or let your dinner guests do it themselves!
Easy Poached Shrimp Serving Suggestions
Once the shrimp are poached, all that’s left is serving them – so simple!
Serving Suggestion– As a Decadent Special Occasion Main Dish:
There’s no more perfect pairing for these Prosecco butter poached shrimp than your creamy, dreamy carb of choice. You can whip up a batch of mashed potatoes or make a simple creamy pasta, but for a special occasion holiday dinner, I like to go all out with risotto. Thanks to ALDI, prepping a quick batch of risotto couldn’t be easier! Grab a package of their Priano Risotto – it comes in a few different flavors, like Four Cheese, Mushroom, & Roasted Garlic (my personal fave of the bunch!) – & cook it in boiling water. Simple as that!
If you feel like adding some greens to your plate, I opt for simple roasted asparagus, green beans, or broccoli, all of which pair with the lemony, garlicky flavor of the poaching liquid beautifully!
Bringing it all together! ⇢ Spoon some risotto on a large plate, nestle the Prosecco poached shrimp over top, & place the roasted veggies alongside. Drizzle a few spoonfuls of the Prosecco butter sauce over top, & finish with a sprinkling of grated parmesan. Beautiful, restaurant-worthy, & so simple to throw together!
Serving Suggestion – As a Festive Appetizer or Party Snack:
The fun thing about these Prosecco butter poached shrimp is that they’re really versatile. They’re a stunning special occasion main dish, but they’re also a totally fun, totally beautiful shareable for a holiday party.
Here’s how I do it! ⇢ Place the Prosecco butter poached shrimp in a large serving bowl, spoon the Prosecco butter sauce over top, & finish with a generous sprinkling of grated parmesan. Serve with some fresh lemon wedges & lots of crusty bread to soak up all of the sauce. I absolutely love the Specially Selected French Baguette from ALDI! It has the best golden crust & amazing chewy texture – so, so good!
The only thing missing? Raising a few glasses of Belletti Prosecco to say cheers to a wonderful holiday season!
I can’t wait for you to try thisProsecco Butter Poached Shrimp recipe! It’s an absolute show-stopper, & it couldn’t be quicker or easier to throw together – I know you’ll love it!
If you do give it a try, be sure to let me know!Leave a comment with a star rating below. You can alsosnap a photo & tag@playswellwithbutteronInstagram. I LOVE hearing about & seeing your PWWB creations! ♡ Happy cooking!
More Recipes Like This:
Special Occasion Dinners
- Individual Beef Wellington
- Slowly Braised Lamb Ragu
- Salmon Wellington (Salmon en Croute)
- Seriously Creamy Porcini Mushroom Risotto
- Seared Scallop Pesto Pasta
- Baked Seafood-Stuffed Shells with Béchamel Sauce
Prosecco Butter Poached Shrimp
5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 2 reviews
- Author: Jess Larson
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: serves 4
- Category: Main Dishes, Appetizer Recipes, Seafood Recipes
- Method: Stovetop, Poached
- Cuisine: American, Italian, French
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
This Prosecco Butter Poached Shrimp is the ultimate easy-yet-elegant special occasion meal!Beautiful colossal shrimp slowly simmer in a full-flavored poaching liquid made of reduced Prosecco wine, butter, lemon, & garlic. They’re tender, juicy, & infused with all of the aromatic flavor of the Prosecco sauce. Enjoy them on their own with some crusty bread or pile them on top of risotto for the ultimate special occasion dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
- 16 ounces Specially Selected Black TigerShrimp, thawed from frozen (see Recipe Notes)
- one 750mL bottle Belletti Prosecco
- 1 1/4 cup (2 1/2 sticks) Simply Nature Organic Salted Butter, cut into tablespoons
- 1 small lemon, juiced
- 1 small lemon, thinly sliced
- 8 cloves garlic, smashed
- optional: 2 teaspoons Stonemill Parsley Flakes
- kosher salt & ground black pepper
Instructions
- Shrimp prep:Transfer the thawed shrimp to a paper towel-lined plate. Use paper towel to pat the shrimp as dry as possible. Set aside.
- Reduce the Prosecco by half: Add the Prosecco to a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring the Prosecco to a boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced roughly by half, about 12-15 minutes.
- Prepare the Prosecco butter poaching liquid: Reduce the heat under the Prosecco to medium-low, just enough for the Prosecco to maintain a gentle simmer. Whisking constantly, add a few tablespoons of the butter to the saucepan with the Prosecco. Once melted, continue to add butter to the saucepan, working a few tablespoons at a time. Be sure to whisk steadily throughout this process to help the butter emulsify with the reduced Prosecco & adjust heat as needed to maintain a gentle simmer. Once all of the butter is incorporated, add in the aromatics – lemon juice, sliced lemon, crushed garlic, dried parsley, etc. Season with 2 teaspoons kosher salt & ground black pepper as desired. Simmer 2-3 minutes, whisking steadily, to bloom the aromatics.Taste & adjust seasoning as desired.
- Poach the shrimp:Working in batches of 5-6 shrimp at a time, add the shrimp to the saucepan. All of the shrimp should be submerged in the Prosecco butter poaching liquid. Adjust heat as needed to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook 2-3 minutes, just until the shrimp is bright pink with opaque flesh. Transfer the poached shrimp to a large plate or bowl & set aside. Repeat 2-3 times with remaining shrimp.
- Serve:Once all the shrimp are poached & cool enough to handle, peel them & serve immediately. You can enjoy this Prosecco butter poached shrimp appetizer-style with crusty bread, placing the shrimp in a shallow bowl & pouring some of the Prosecco butter poaching liquid over top. This Prosecco butter poached shrimp is also great as a special occasion main dish, served with some of its Prosecco butter poaching liquid over risotto, pasta, or mashed potatoes. Enjoy!
Notes
- Thawing frozen shrimp: The best way to thaw frozen shrimp, or any frozen protein for that matter, is to place them in a zip-top bag & submerge in cool water. Since the Specially Selected Black Tiger Shrimp are packaged in a sealed bag, all you have to do is place the bag in a large bowl & cover with cool water. The steady, cool temperature of the water creates a really controlled environment for the frozen shrimp to come up to room temperature. This is better from a food safety standpoint, since it limits bacterial growth. Refresh the water every 10 minutes or so, until the shrimp are completely thawed – 25-30 minutes, tops!
- Storage & reheating:These Prosecco butter poached shrimp are best served fresh, though leftovers will keep, stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, for up to 2 days. Reheat in the microwave, just until warmed through.
Recipe & Food Styling by Jess Larson, Plays Well With Butter | Photography byRachel Cook, Half Acre House.
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