Sluttishly Savoury: Potted Shrimps with Pitta Crisps

Potted shrimps are an old Lancashire delicacy. The sort of thing you come across in posh hotels and top notch seafood restaurants. Shrimps suspended in butter – what's not to love? Easy to make – foolproof. I had mine with these pitta chips, but they're also good spread over crumpets or stirred through hot pasta. The butter then melts away, leaving soft, almost confit-ed seasoned shrimps. The butter also seals in the air and preserves them so they keep in the fridge for the best part of a week. If you can't get brown shrimps, use prawns instead.

Potted Shrimps with Pitta Bread Crisps (serves 2 as a starter or light lunch)

Preparation Time: 15 mins

Chilling Time: 2+ hours

• 80g clarified butter (I was lazy and bought Lurpak clarified butter but normal butter works just as well)
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 100g peeled brown shrimps or prawns
• 2 wholemeal pita breads
• olive oil
• salt and pepper

Make it!

1. Melt the butter in a saucepan over a low heat, you don't want to cook it, just melt it.
2. Stir in the spices and lemon juice, with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Stir the shrimps into the butter.
4. Divide into ramekins or glasses, then refrigerate for a couple of hours.
5. Remove the ramekins from the fridge half an hour before serving, to soften the butter.

For the pitta crisps:

• Heat the oven to 160°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3.
• Cut the pitta breads into triangles and go over them with a rolling pin to flatten them out. 
• Lay them on a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil and season.
• Bake for 10 minutes or until crisp. These are also amazing with hummus and dips.