Butter-Poached Shrimp With Dill Mayonnaise

By Melissa Clark

Updated Oct. 12, 2023

Butter-Poached Shrimp With Dill Mayonnaise
James Ransom for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.
Total Time
20 minutes
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
10 minutes
Rating
4(192)
Notes
Read community notes

Poaching shrimp in a combination of butter, lemon juice and white wine gives them a bright, tangy flavor and plump, succulent texture, and it takes only about five minutes. Served in bowls with a little of their broth and a dollop of dill-speckled mayonnaise, they’re rich and soupy, perfect with a hunk of crusty bread on the side to mop up every last drop.

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Ingredients

Yield:3 to 4 servings

    For the Shrimp

    • 2teaspoons whole coriander seeds
    • 4tablespoons unsalted butter
    • ½cup dry white wine, plus more if needed
    • 1pound shelled large shrimp
    • Juice of ½ lemon
    • Pinch of fine sea or table salt

    For the Dill Mayonnaise

    • ¼teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
    • Juice of ½ lemon, plus more to taste
    • ¼cup chopped fresh dill, plus more for garnish
    • ½cup mayonnaise
    • ¼teaspoon fine sea or table salt
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

431 calories; 35 grams fat; 11 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 9 grams monounsaturated fat; 14 grams polyunsaturated fat; 3 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 1 gram sugars; 23 grams protein; 485 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Using a mortar and pestle or a cutting board and the flat side of a knife, crack the coriander seeds. Add to a large dry saucepan over medium heat and toast for 1 minute, or until fragrant.

  2. Step 2

    Add butter and wine to the coriander in the pan, and swirl until butter has melted, about 2 to 3 minutes.

  3. Step 3

    Add shrimp, lemon juice and pinch of salt. The liquid should come about halfway up the sides of the shrimp. If needed, add a splash more wine to the pan.

  4. Step 4

    Gently poach shrimp for 2 minutes, then flip. Poach for another 1 to 2 minutes, or until they turn pink and are just cooked through.

  5. Step 5

    While shrimp are poaching, make the dill mayonnaise: In a small bowl, whisk together lemon zest and juice, dill, mayonnaise and salt. Taste, and add more salt and lemon juice if needed.

  6. Step 6

    Pour shrimp and all of their juices into a shallow bowl, and top with dollops of dill mayonnaise. Garnish with dill fronds and serve.

Ratings

4 out of 5
192 user ratings
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Cooking Notes

Roger Lustig

How about making the dill mayo first? I like to keep my eyes on the shrimp during the brief time they cook. In any event, emphasize often the fact that mise-en-place includes the steps listed in the ingredients list, i.e., chop dill, zest and squeeze lemon, etc. before you start with Step 1.

Bill

I have a similar recipe and found that If I don’t have coriander seeds I can substitute 1/4 to 1/2 tsp of ground coriander (powder) when cooking the shrimp, or add a similar amount to the mayonnaise/dill mixture. You can always add more coriander powder if you want to amplify the taste. When I don’t have fresh dill I use 1/2 to 1 tsp of dried dill in mayo or yogurt, or more if desired. I know, fresh dill is more attractive, but I rarely have it in my larder and always have dried dill on hand.

Jeff Bretl

Yes, please! This was a huge hit at my table, light, subtle and so very flavorful! Beautiful undertones from the toasted coriander seeds, with a subtle kick from the dill and lemon, allow the shrimp to shine. Will I make this again? Maybe tomorrow! Simplicity at its best. Thank you, Melissa Clark.

Alma

Please please please just make your own mayo and this dish will be much better. Combine 1 egg or aquafaba with one teespon mustard, salt, lemon juice in an immersion blender and gradually add neutral oil. It‘s sublime

MarianneC

Before I attempt this, can someone clarify how to cook from frozen shrimp? I'm afraid to get something too soggy once they are defrosted. Thanks.

Meg

I didn’t enjoy this as much as many of Melissa Clark’s other dishes. The lemon juice thinned out the dill mayonnaise too much. The poaching liquid would have been better with less lemon juice and wine and more butter.

Wallis

This was fantastic served over jasmati rice with sliced cucumbers on the side. Used parsley in the dressing since I didn’t have any dill. All of the flavors combined well with the shrimp. Loved it and will definitely make it again.

janisani

good, but not my favorite shrimp recipe

Darlene Townsend

I had some leftover one-pan orzo with spinach, peas and feta (another great recipe from Melissa Clark) and served the poached shrimp on top of that. We topped it with some sliced avocado before dolloping with the dill mayo (which I made earlier in the day so that I wouldn't overcook the shrimp). Winning combination!

Meg

I was slightly suspicious of this dish, since it didn’t have garlic, but this is so light and crisp and delicious! Coriander and dill are delightful together, and the dollops of the mayonnaise adds a bit of creamy richness to the poaching liquid. I made the dill mayonnaise beforehand, to ensure that I wouldn’t overcook the shrimp. I served the shrimp over orzo, to sop up the white wine and butter. Its 2-3 minute cooking time doesn’t detract from the ease and briskness of the shrimp!

Anne

Tasty, but definitely not enough as the entree for 4 adults on my family.

Dee

Mayo really good but makes a lot. I did this dish with shrimp and bay scallops. Wonderful.

Diane P

Marianne C: I tip frozen shelled shrimp into a strainer, run warm water over them, drain over sink for a half-hour, tip onto paper towels on a plate, pat dry and let sit in open air for another half- to full hour. You wanna get all that water out.

Charlie

Served it on linguini, added a bit of EVOO, mayo on the side. Yum!

Joe Shocket

I had to make some changes as I didn't have white wine or dill. I used ouzo while cooking the shrimp and substituted mint flakes for the dill. We were very pleased with the way it came out, very tasty.

Julie O

I thought this was delicious and easy. I served it over a modified version of Baghali Polo, Persian dill & lima bean rice. It was a stellar combination. Will definitely repeat!

Susan

I made it with 1.5 lbs of shrimp and only made 1/2 the sauce. It was perfect. With less shrimp may have been too soupy.

JJO

Another win for Melissa Clark. The toughest part of making this (I made it just about exactly as written) was peeling the shrimp. Other than that, it comes together in a jiffy. I served it on top of wild rice. While it would be great on its own, why waste the buttery, lemony poaching liquid?

Teri

If using frozen shrimp, it must first be thawed and drained. Adding it frozen creates too much liquid.

Heather

If packaged frozen shrimp are all you have, thaw them under cold running water, about 5 minutes, or in a bowl of cold water, 10-20 minutes. Do not try to speed things up by using warm water. Drain and pat dry before using. But I would save the frozen shrimp for some other highly seasoned meal. This dish is so simple that the shrimp will be the main thing you taste, so try for wild caught shrimp from a good seafood market if possible.

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