Shrimp Martini with Robuchon Mashed Potatoes
Seafood… yum! I love them all! Each has their own unique taste and texture. From scallops to oysters, to lobster, clams, shrimp, mussels, calamari, crab and so on, they’re all a feast to me! Since I was a child, I’ve always considered seafood as a delicacy, a nice delicious treat and I still think that way. I use them a lot throughout the seasons but more so during the Holidays…
When it comes to shrimp (or prawns), I have many recipes that I use this particular protein in like my Paellas (Marisco and Spanish), Shrimp Po` Boy, Cajun Poutine, New Orleans Gumbo, Shrimp Salad Sandwich, Creamy Shrimp Linguine, Bouillabaisse à la Marseillaise, Creole Shrimp & Andouille Skewers, Seafood Pizza, Shrimp Maque Choux, Crab Louie Salad, Vietnamese Summer Rolls, Prawn Saganaki, etc.
Shrimp Cocktail is another way to enjoy these tasty little guys. This popular appetizer is always served with a nice delicious Cocktail Sauce. What if I told you that there’s another delicious way to enjoy them? Here’s my Shrimp Martini with Robuchon Mashed Potatoes!
What? Shrimp with mashed! Absolutely! The combination is phenomenal! What makes this dish so incredible is that I don’t use regular mashed potatoes… no, no, no! I use Joël Robuchon’s recipe! Without his purée de pommes de terre, this combination wouldn’t be so amazing. These are the best mashed potatoes ever! They’re so rich, light, unbelievably creamy and buttery! This most awarded Michelin-star chef took potato purée to new heights of yumminess! As “strange” as it sounds, this Shrimp Martini with Robuchon Mashed Potatoes is the perfect pairing!
Who is this guy? – you may ask. He was a French chef who impacted la gastronomie Française. He was my idol! I discovered him when I came across a French European television show called “Bon Appétit Bien Sûr”. Just by watching him and his enthusiasm, I was salivating! Joël Robuchon was named “Chef of the Century” by the influential restaurant guide Gault Millau in 1989 as well as holding 32 Michelin Guide stars – that’s the most of any well-known chef in the world… now that should tell you something. The only one who comes close to him is Alain Ducasse, holding 17 Michelin Stars. Robuchon was also awarded as “Meilleur Ouvrier de France” (France’s Best Worker).
Creating incredible dishes, he truly influenced the culinary world and he sure did with me. There’s a line he said that changed my way of cooking forever and it was “There’s no such thing as a perfect dish – one person can always do better”. This is so true! How many times I thought “yes, this is it, everything tastes perfect!” until I revisit and improve it once again.
Here’s a fun fact… Among the many chefs he trained over the years, Gordon Ramsay was one of them. After he made langoustine ravioli, Robuchon disliked it and threw the dish back at him. Insulted, Gordon took off his apron, left the kitchen and never came back. Rest assured, later on, these two were actually good friends and apparently joked a lot about that incident. Spending over 60 years of his life cooking, this passionate chef passed away 3 years ago… it was a big loss for the Gastronomy World!
With all the gorgeous dishes that he created (and improved), one of them stands above and it’s his mashed potatoes. As simple as the dish is, he improved it so much by adding a lot of butter and heavy cream. You might think “okay, that’s all”. Actually it’s beyond that… The end result is the BEST purée de pommes de terre you’ll ever have!
The first time I made his, I was stunned! The creaminess and lightness of the side surprised me enormously! I wasn’t expecting such a nice delicate side. This is when the idea of pairing it with Poached Shrimp came up. The mix of cold, perfectly cooked shrimp dipped in nice steamy warm, mashed was born. This was a match made in heaven!
This Shrimp Martini with Robuchon Mashed Potatoes is certainly astonishing and deliciously different! The crunchy and delicate taste from the shrimp along with the buttery, creamy and light mashed will elevate your taste buds to the next level! This perfect bite of yumminess will surprise you!
Bon Appétit!
Here are more delicious appetizer recipes for you to try…
– Sweet Chili Chicken Bites
– Spanakopita
– West Coast Smoked Salmon Chowder
– Caesar Salad
– Duxelles Bruschetta
– Coquilles St Jacques
– Easy Falafel
and for even more seafood recipes, click on this link… Recipe Category • Seafood & Fish
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Shrimp Martini Recipe with chef Robuchon Mashed Potatoes
Hover to scale
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. (1 kg.) Yukon Gold potatoes, washed and scrubbed
- 1 tbsp. coarse sea salt per liter (4 cups) of water
- 18 tbsp. (2 sticks + 2 tbsp.) cold butter, cut into tablespoon-sized pieces tips & tricks
- 1 cup whole milk, warmed Footnote
- ground Himalayan sea salt, to taste
- 24 large shrimp, deveined, peeled leaving the tails on and poached tips & tricks
Directions
- In a large pot, add unpeeled potatoes and cover with cold water up to 2-inches above. Add coarse sea salt and bring it to a boil. Cook until tender, about 25 minutes.
- Drain them well and peel them while they’re still hot. Pass them through a potato ricer or a food mill into the same pot they were boiled in earlier.
- Place the pot back on the burner and set the heat on low.
- Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, add a drop of water which will prevent the milk from boiling over. Pour in the milk and warm it up on medium heat.
- Add 4 tablespoons of butter at a time to the potatoes and stir until almost incorporated before adding some more, stirring very well between each addition.
- Using a whisk, combine the liquid into the mixture and continue doing this until all incorporated. Season with salt and whisk to blend.
- To serve, spoon the mashed potatoes into martini glasses and place 6 cold poached shrimp evenly around the glass.
Notes
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Wow! This is what I call “original”! I made it last night and couldn’t believe how perfect the combination was. It’s a keeper! Thanks Frankie… you’re the best!
Thank you so much for your kind comments… ♥ This is awesome! I know it’s different but what a delicious way to enjoy shrimp cocktail! It’s all about Joël Robuchon’s mashed potatoes – this French chef was my idol… it was a terrible lost in the culinary world! Enjoy your day Bee and have a wonderful week ☺