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Sous vide shrimp over cauliflower spinach mash garnished with lemon zest, parsley and sweet chili sauce.
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5 from 1 vote

Sous Vide Shrimp With Cauliflower Mash (30 Min)

This quick and easy recipe for sous vide shrimp with cauliflower mash features few and simple ingredients, an elegant presentation, perfectly cooked shrimp, and contrasting textures. Not bad for a single meal!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Servings (change as needed): 3
Author: Cheryl Avrich
US Measures - Metric

Ingredients

For sous vide shrimp

  • 1 pound raw large shrimp, peeled and deveined, Note 2 (keep tails on or off, as you prefer)
  • 1 tablespoon butter, cut into small pieces (salted or unsalted)
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest (from 1/2 lemon)
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt (or less if using salted butter)
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • pinch garlic powder

Cauliflower mash

  • 1 medium head of cauliflower (about 6 cups/740 grams florets)
  • 1 cup fresh baby spinach (or 1/3 cup/50 grams/2 oz. frozen)
  • 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (or to taste) (if store-bought, use 1/2-3/4 cup)
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons butter
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt (or more to taste)
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper (or more to taste)
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder (or 1/2 tsp granulated garlic)
  • optional: 1/3 cup (33g) chopped green onions

Garnish (optional)

  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest, 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, 1 tablespoon sweet Thai chili sauce.
US Measures - Metric

Instructions

  • PREPARE: °Shrimp: Mix shrimp ingredients together to distribute evenly. Let them sit while water heats. Heat sous vide bath to desired temperature, Note 3. I prefer 138F/59C. °Cauliflower mash: Boil water in a medium-large pot. Remove large ribs and stems from cauliflower, cut florets into small pieces (size doesn't really matter as long as pieces are more or less the same size for even cooking - larger pieces will take longer to cook of course).
  • SOUS VIDE SHRIMP: For water displacement method: place shrimp in freezer bag or heavy duty zipper-lock bag. Press down shrimp to flatten into a single layer. Lower bag into preheated water bath, unsealed, until top of the bag is just above water level. Then seal bag once as much air as possible is pressed out by the water. For vacuum seal method: place shrimp in vacuum bag. Seal bag with vacuum sealer. Lower bag into water. Cook jumbo shrimp for 20 minutes (15 minutes is fine for smaller ones) and up to a maximum time of 45 minutes.
  • MAKE CAULIFLOWER MASH: Place cauliflower and spinach into boiling water. (Note 4 for microwave option). Reduce to medium and boil until tender about 8-10 minutes depending how large pieces are. Drain in colander, return to pot and shake pot over medium heat for 1 minute until excess water has evaporated. Add MOST of cheese and seasonings. Blend with an immersion blender, food processor, blender or potato masher (by hand). Taste and add more cheese and seasonings to your taste.
  • SERVE: Spoon cauliflower puree/mash onto a large plate. Pile shrimp on top and garnish as you like. I sprinkle on lemon zest, parsley and a drizzle of sweet Thai chili sauce. See Note 5 for other garnish options.

Notes

  1. General measurement notes:
    • For shrimp, feel free to make more - cooking time and temperature don't change - just add a little more seasonings.
    • For cauliflower mash, you can add more spinach if you like. Also, it's best to start with less seasonings and cheese, keep tasting and add more to your taste when mashing. 
  2. Shrimp notes:
    • It's safest to buy frozen shrimp unless you know your fish monger well. Look for 16-20 on the package which means there will be 16-20 shrimp per pound (450 grams) or the smaller 21-25 per pound if you prefer. 
    • If you don't buy pre-peeled and deveined shrimp (very convenient, but more expensive) here is a video on how to peel and devein shrimp by Epicurious. Alternatively, buy 'zipper back' where the shell is pre-split and very easy to remove. Just pinch the legs underneath and pull out the raw shrimp in one easy step.
    • You can sous vide shell-on shrimp if you prefer, but you or the diners will have to remove them afterward. 
  3. Choose your preferred temperature for shrimp: 
    • 135F/57C  - borderline opaque, juicy
    • 138F/58.9C - more opaque, juicy, tender (my preference)
    • 140F/60C - traditional-like texture, firmer, juicy, crisp bite
  4. To microwave cauliflower instead of boiling it: Place cauliflower and spinach in microwavable dish. Cover. Microwave on high about 5-6 minutes or until very soft. Drain and pat dry with paper towels. 
  5. Variations
    • Shrimp: Change the seasonings. Use oil instead of butter (or neither), fajita seasoning, smoked paprika or fresh or dried herbs like thyme or tarragon.
    • Cheesy cauliflower mash:
      • Leave out the spinach if you like
      • Substitute Gruyère or a strong white cheddar cheese for the Parmesan
      • Consider adding red pepper flakes to the mash to spice it up. 
    • Garnish options: mango or peach salsa, sundried tomatoes, capers, other fresh herbs, or a drizzle of pesto or balsamic glaze 
  6. Make ahead: Cauliflower mash can be made 3-4 days ahead. Store in an airtight container in the fridge. Reheat for 2-3 minutes in the microwave. Shrimp are best when made fresh, but if needed, make them ahead, store in the ziplock bag with their juices in the fridge for up to 2 days, then warm them in a sous vide bath at 130F/54C for 15 minutes. Another option (a bit riskier as they are easy to overcook) is to warm them in the microwave on medium for 2-3 minutes. 
 
Nutrition values are estimates and do not include optional garnish. 
 
Calories: 384kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 245mg | Sodium: 2150mg | Potassium: 872mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1792IU | Vitamin C: 96mg | Calcium: 434mg | Iron: 2mg