What to do with Mace
Blog Entry: Friday 04 Jun 2010
Mace is the sister spice to nutmeg and used to be an incredibly valuable commodity to European traders. Nutmeg is the seed of the Myristica fragrans tree and mace comes from the lacy covering of that seed. Its flavouring is usually described as a mix of cinnamon and pepper and is used in everything from mulled wine to lovely, buttery mashed potato.
If you were thinking of giving mace a try this weekend, there is no better dish than John Wright’s recipe for potted shrimp. Let us know what you think!
Ingredients
120g (4½oz) unsalted butter
Pinch of ground mace
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1 bay leaf
200g (7oz) peeled, cooked brown shrimps
Squeeze of lemon juice
Hot brown toast, to serve
Method:
1. Gently melt the butter in a small pan. Pour the clear butter into another saucepan, leaving behind the milky solids. Pour 2-3 tbsp of the clarified butter into a warmed jug and set aside.
2. To the rest of the clarified butter in the pan, add the mace, cayenne and bay leaf. Simmer very gently for two minutes. Discard the bay, then add the cooked, peeled shrimps and a squeeze of lemon. Stir for a couple of minutes, season with a little salt and white pepper, and remove from the heat.
3. Spoon the shrimps and butter into two ramekins or small jars, pour on the reserved clarified butter to cover in a thin layer refrigerate to set.
4. Remove the potted shrimp from the fridge 20 minutes before you want to serve them. Spread on hot brown toast – with lots of butter of course!
Find the original recipe at Telegraph.co.uk.
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