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.
