Featured Recipe
Shrimp Mango Cocktail
By Kate
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Shrimp poached briefly in a fragrant spiced white wine and rice vinegar bath. A tangy mango sauce with horseradish, lime zest, and a hint of honey for balance. No nuts, dairy, gluten, or eggs. Quick cool-down to maintain shrimp firmness. Sauce pureed smooth but with bright citrus pop. Serve shrimp chilled, arranged around the sauce. Simple, fresh, precise. Small switchups: swapped sugar for honey, coriander seeds for cracked black peppercorns; added a subtle drizzle of sesame oil for complexity. Timing flexible but watch shrimp curl tightly and sauce texture smoothy but slightly textured.
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Prep:
25 min
Cook:
6 min
Total:
31 min
Serves:
2 servings
seafood
appetizer
mango
shrimp
fusion
Introduction
Shrimp cocktail reinvented with mango, a dance of textures and tang. Peeling shrimp tails but leaving them on adds grip and elegance. Poaching shrimp fast in a fragrant bath tones down fishiness while the vinegar and cracked peppercorns infuse subtle aromatics. Timing shrimp here is everything — watch the pink curl, feel the firmness. Mangos bring tropical sweetness but paired with horseradish and citrus zest the bite is sharp and refreshing. A dash of sesame oil is a secret weapon - barely there, but deepens flavor without overpowering. Chill shrimp, sauce—not just for temperature, but to set flavors. No need to fuss with heavy cream or mayonnaise; here, pure, clean, bright flavor wins. Swap sugar for honey for a rounder note, coriander seeds for black peppercorns to tighten spice. These subtle changes make a familiar starter new again. Small tweaks, big impact.
Ingredients
SHRIMP
- 10 large shrimp, peeled but tails left on (about 250 g)
- 200 ml dry white wine
- 50 ml rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp cracked black peppercorns
- Salt
- 200 ml diced mango (1 medium mango)
- 1 1/2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp prepared horseradish
- Zest of 1 small lime
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- Salt and black pepper
MANGO SAUCE
About the ingredients
Shrimp should be as fresh as possible; frozen works too but thaw fully and pat dry. Poaching in white wine with vinegar softens shrimp while seasoning gently. Avoid crowding the pan or shrimp will stew, becoming rubbery. Cracked black peppercorns add sharp bite without overwhelming the subtle shrimp taste. For sauce, ripe mango is non-negotiable — underripe mango is bitter and harms whole dish balance. Honey replaces sugar for natural sweetness and slight floral notes; adjust to taste as mango sweetness varies by season. Horseradish delivers heat and aroma — fresh prepared preferred but store-bought works fine. Lime zest brightens sauce; no substitute for the fresh oil in the peel. Sesame oil is optional but recommended for a whisper of toasted nuttiness. Salt and pepper essential for complexity and to counter sweet elements. If any ingredient missing, invert vinegar with lemon juice or mild white balsamic; swap mango with peach or nectarine for seasonal twist but adjust acidity and sweetness accordingly.
Method
SHRIMP
- 1. Combine white wine, rice vinegar, cracked peppercorns, and a pinch of salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a soft boil - listen for gentle simmering, not rapid bubbling; aroma should be sharp but balanced.
- 2. Drop shrimp in a single layer, watch them curl tightly within 90 seconds. Remove immediately once opaque and firmer to touch but still yielding. Overcook—rubbery and dry. Drain shrimp, pat dry, let cool on a rack uncovered for air circulation. Refrigerate about 45 minutes. Don't cover while hot or shrimp sweat and soften.
- 3. In a blender, combine mango, rice vinegar, honey, horseradish, lime zest, and sesame oil. Pulse until mostly smooth but retain slight mango texture for bite. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Taste constantly, balance sweetness and acidity. If sauce too sharp, add a touch more honey; too flat, more vinegar or zest.
- 4. Spoon sauce into a shallow bowl placed in serving plate center. Arrange chilled shrimp around sauce, tails pointing outward. The contrast of cold shrimp and zing from horseradish mingles with sweet, bright mango. Serve immediately or cover and chill up to 1 hour before serving for flavors to meld and sauce to thicken slightly.
- Tips and tricks: If lacking white wine, dry vermouth or even light apple cider vinegar diluted with water works; shrimp mustn't stew. For horseradish sub, wasabi paste but reduce quantity significantly. Sesame oil adds umami depth but use toasted only, or omit for neutral flavor profile.
- Watch shrimp curl and change color, key doneness marker, not time alone. Overcooked shrimp have a tough snap and dull matte look. Mango should be ripe and fragrant, underripe mango kills sauce sweetness.
- If sauce too thick after chilling, thin with cold water or a little extra vinegar. Spoon gently to avoid breaking shrimp delicate texture.
MANGO SAUCE
Technique Tips
Poaching shrimp quickly in aromatic wine vinegar base prevents toughness common with boil-and-shock methods. Look for shrimp to curl into tight C shape, flesh turning opaque but still springy; overcooked shrimps curl further into a tight O and feel stiff. Stir during simmer only initially to release aroma; then leave shrimp still to cook evenly. Cooling shrimp uncovered avoids condensation, which softens texture. Purée mango sauce moderate: too smooth loses freshness, too chunky lacks cohesion. Tasting sauce in stages is crucial; balance acid, sweet, heat, and salt iteratively. Assemble chilled shrimp around sauce just before serving; prolonged soaking turns shrimp mushy. If preparing ahead, store sauce separately and combine at last moment. Alternative serving: spoon sauce on small plates, stack shrimp atop for a layered effect. Control sauce thickness by adjusting mango quantity and blending time. Don’t rush sauce blending; texture matters. In tight schedules, substitute shaking mango sauce ingredients in a sealed jar and vigorous shaking for a rustic alternative; lacks creaminess but fine in pinch.
Chef's Notes
- 💡 Freshness is key with shrimp; check for odor. If not possible, thaw frozen shrimp completely. Dry properly. Prep vinegar and wine mix while shrimp cool.
- 💡 Timing crucial for poaching - only 90 seconds or so until firm but yielding. Listen for that simmer, watch shrimp turn opaque. Don’t let them stew.
- 💡 Sauce texture is important; blend until mostly smooth. Leave some mango chunks for that texture pop. Balance acidity, sweetness. Taste as you go. Adjust.
- 💡 Chilling shrimp properly means placing them on a rack, not a plate. If covered while hot, they sweat. Result: mushy shrimp. Air helps maintain texture.
- 💡 Substitutions are handy; can use dry vermouth or diluted vinegar if white wine lacking. Adjust shrimp poaching time depending on size. Large shrimp cook quickly.
