Olio-Poached Shrimp, Another Love Story

Last summer, along with an auditorium full of olive oil producers from around the globe,  I had the pleasure of taking an olive oil focused cooking class from the great Chef Paul Bartolotta at the Culinary Institute of America in Napa. Among the techniques he shared was olio-poaching, or in non-chef terms, gently bathing fish in a pool of warm, not-quite-simmering olive oil. I watched Bartolotta heat a few inches of California extra virgin olive oil in a small sauce pan over low heat, add Branzino fillets, and gently cook the fish for about ten minutes, spooning warm oil over the fillet as its shiny pink flesh turned white and opaque. After the demonstration, we forked into the fish fillets; the texture was silky and luscious, the Branzino’s delicate sweet flavor perfumed by the fruity olio. 

Since then, olio-poaching has become a mainstay of my weeknight dinner repertoire. Not only does the method yield constantly delicious results, but unlike the precision that searing or broiling requires to cook fish well, olio-poaching is forgiving. This flexibility comes in part simply from cooking slowly, so there is less risk of getting distracted for two minutes when your kid needs you RIGHT NOW and overcooking your fish, but also from the specific way in which olive oil seals in the natural moisture of the fish as it cooks.  For this same reason, despite being enveloped in a pool of oil, the fish itself does not become greasy, as the oil barely penetrates the flesh of the fish.

Bartalotta’s demonstration featured Branzino, but the same olio-poaching technique works well with any flaky fish. I often use Halibut or sole, but I’m eager to try a dinner-party-sized salmon fillet. The same olio-poaching technique works well with shrimp too — large tail on shrimp become rich and plump, ready to be stirred into pasta or eaten with crusty toast.

Olio-Poached Shrimp with lemon, parsley, and charred bread

Ingredients

Tail on large shrimp, I typically buy frozen and defrost before cooking, 12-16 shrimp

Fruity olive oil, ¾ - 1 cup

Flat leaf parsley, 1 Tbsp roughly chopped

1 lemon, for juice

Flaky salt 

Red pepper flakes

Country Loaf

Steps

1. In a medium sauce pan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat until shimmery, then turn down heat as low as the stove will go.

2. Add shrimp. They should be partially submerged in olio. Gently cook, tossing shrimp in the oil. Once they become opaque and their characteristic coral-color emerges, use a slotted spoon to remove them from oil. 

3. Add shrimp and a few spoonfuls of cooking oil to a shallow serving bowl. Dust with chopped parsley, a few good squeezes of lemon, and flaky salt. Option to add red pepper flakes for a bit of heat. 

4. Just before you are ready to serve, brush good olive oil over slices of country loaf. Toast on a hot grill or under the broiler for a minute or two, until browned.

5. Serve with crusty bread and chilled white wine or beer.

1. **Shrimp can be prepared ahead of service, they taste great at room temperature.