Shrimp bites, delicate and delicious, for an elegant French appetizer
Small choux pastries with a light, mousse-like filling that whet the appetite before the meal
A truly delicious recipe, always a hit. Between the freshness of the choux, the tasty shrimp and herb filling, and its airy texture, it's hard to resist...
The recipe takes a little time, it's true, but the result will be there and you'll make people happy, that's my experience anyway. Every time I make these puffs, people ask me for them again
Source of the recipe
A recipe I got during a "Night at Versailles" evening
During the day I had visited the galleries and gardens of Versailles
And in the evening, I was able to stay for a delightful moment, amidst illuminated fountains, music "for the king's supper" and a sound and light festival
And these Appetizers of shrimp puffs really pleased me (with champagne!): This is the recipe I propose to you
Puffs
1. Prepare the Choux Dough ( 11 oz or 300 g)
3. The quantity indicated ( 11 oz or 300 g) is that of the dough before baking
4. Place in Pastry Bag with a Plain Pastry Tip
KitchenAid 7-Quart Stand Mixer
Hamilton Beach Stand Mixer
Matfer Bourgeat Pastry Bags
Disposable Pastry Bags
Plain Pastry Tips Set, Stainless Steel
Piping Tips
5. A first method is to pipe choux puffs of approximately 1.37" (or 1 3/8" or 3.5 cm) in diameter
6. To "erase" the small "tip" on the choux, simply dip a spoon in water and gently touch the surface. You will obtain perfectly round choux this way
7. Another solution is to pipe the the Choux Dough into 3.5cm diameter half-sphere silicone molds
8. Freeze, then unmold onto a silicone mat or with a parchment paper
9. This method is longer, but it allows to obtain choux of the same size and perfectly round
1.5-inch Half Sphere Silicone Mold
Silicone Half-Spheres Mold 1.6″
10. Whichever method is chosen, the choux are 1.37" (or 1 3/8" or 3.5 cm) in diameter, and after cooking, they will have puffed up and be 1.77" (or 1 49/64" or 4.5 cm) in diameter
Bake in preheated oven at 
Perforated Baking Pan
USA Warp Resistant Baking Pan, Aluminized Steel
Heat Resistant Gloves
Silicone Baking Mat
Perforated Baking Mat
12. Reserve at room temperature, until use
13. Cut the choux. I advise you to cut at the upper 1/3
14. In fact, it's better if the choux dry out a little, because the filling will moisten them. If the choux are a little dry, this will prevent them from becoming too soggy
The Filling
15. For the Shrimps (1 lbs or 470 g), you will need beautiful, long shrimp, gambas type which provide a very good flavor. Choose fresh shrimp from the fishmonger and avoid frozen products
16. You absolutely need the heads, as we will use them for the juice. The tail will be used for the filling. So avoid shrimp sold without their heads (as sometimes in the frozen section)
17. Separate the head from the tail, place in two bowls: The flesh in "Bowl 1", and the heads in "Bowl 2"
18. Peel the tails, and place the shells in "Bowl 2"
Stainless Steel Mixing Bowl
Large Mixing Bowls, Stainless Steel
Bowl 1
● Contains only the flesh, which will be cooked and ground for the filling
Bowl 2
● Contains the heads and shells, which will be used to make a filtered juice, which will be used to flavor the filling
The Juice
19. For cooking the juice, we will use Onions, but if you can, I advise you to use half onions and half leeks: this will enhance the flavor
20. Heat the Olive Oil in a sauté pan, and sauté the Onions (1 Cup or 150 g)
21. Cook until light amber in color
22. Pour in "bowl 2" and stir
Cast Iron Shallow Casserole Le Creuset
Saute Pan Scanpan
23. Sauté for a few moments. The shells will color and begin to bring out their aroma
24. Once well seized, deglaze the shells with the Cognac or Brandy (2 Tablespoons or 30 g)
25. Continue cooking, crushing the heads and shells with a potato masher. Their juice will thus diffuse into the liquid, which is what we are looking for as we will thus obtain a very tasty juice
Polyglass Spatula
Potato Masher
26. Lower the heat, and after a few minutes, pour in the Water (1 Cup or 220 g), add the Garlic Cloves (6), and season with the Salt and the Pepper
27. Cook, half-covered, 20 minutes, on low/medium heat
28. During cooking, hydrate the Gelatin Sheets (2) in very cold water (with ice cubes)
29. Please note: When using Gelatin Sheets, you have to place them one by one in the cold water, thus avoiding them to stick to each other
30. After cooking, filter the juice with a sieve or a strainer
31. Discard the shells: they are no longer needed!
Sifter for Baking
Large Stainless Steel Fine Mesh Strainer
32. Pour the juice into a frying pan and cook: we seek to reduce the juice to concentrate the flavors
33. We aim to reduce until 50 g ( 2 oz ) is obtained
Stainless Steel Pan with Lid, Stay Cool Handles, Dishwasher and Oven Safe
34. At the end of cooking, while the juice is still hot, pour in the softened and hydrated Gelatin Sheets (2)
The Tails
35. In a frying pan, sauté the Garlic Cloves (4) in a mixture of Olive Oil / Salted Butter
36. Pour and cook "bowl 1", the shrimp flesh, a few minutes
37. Stir quite often, making sure not to burn the garlic (otherwise add a little water)
38. In a Cup Food Chopper, pour the contents of the frying pan, as well as the reduced juice
39. Finely grind, to obtain a paste
40. Pour into a bowl, let cool at room temperature a few minutes
41. Add the Mayonnaise (½ Cup or 100 g), and mix
KitchenAid Silicone Spatula Set
Le Creuset Silicone Spatula
42. Chop the Green Onions ('Scallions'), and mix into the bowl
43. Place in the fridge to thicken (this will make it easier to pipe into the choux)
44. Place in a Pastry Bag
45. Pipe the filling
46. Thanks to the gelatin and chilling, it has started to set, which is important because without it, the filling would still be liquid and would be impossible to pipe
47. Place the tops of the choux
48. Optionally, you can place a small green onion stalk for decoration and to add some color
That's it! Keep refrigerated until serving
