Pickled Shrimp

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon pepper black freshly ground
• 1 tablespoon cardamom pods 
• 1 tablespoon celery seed 
• 1  cinnamon sticks 
• 1 cup kosher salt 
• 8 servings top 
• 12  bay leaf fresh
• 1 cup garlic clove peeled sliced ( 1 large head)
• 8 servings ice cubes 
• 1 cup optional: lemon paper-thin
• 1 cup juice of lemon fresh
• 2 tablespoons mustard seeds 
• 3 cups olive oil 
• 0.3 cup paprika 
• 1 cup onion paper-thin red
• 2 pounds shells uncooked
• 6  thyme sprigs fresh
• 10  turkish bay leaf 
• 3 cups rice vinegar 
• 8 cups water 
• 1 tablespoon allspice whole
• 1 head garlic clove whole unpeeled

Equipment

• bowl
• baking sheet
• pot
• slotted spoon
• colander
• skimmer

Directions

1. Stir rice vinegar,olive oil, lemon juice, lemon slices, onionslices, garlic cloves, bay leaves, celeryseeds, mustard seeds, coarse kosher salt,and black pepper in large bowl until saltdissolves. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 dayahead. Cover and chill.
2. Place 8 cups waterin large pot.
3. Add coarse salt, bay leaves,thyme sprigs, garlic, paprika, mustardseeds, allspice, celery seeds, cardamompods, and cinnamon stick. Bring to boil overhigh heat. Boil 5 minutes.
4. Add shrimp; stirto separate. Boil just until shells turn pink,about 2 minutes. Using large skimmer,transfer shrimp to colander to drain.
5. Line rimmed baking sheet with layerof ice cubes. Scatter shrimp on ice to coolquickly, about 5 minutes. Peel and deveinshrimp, leaving tails intact.
6. Add peeledshrimp to pickling mixture; stir to blend.Cover and refrigerate at least 3 hoursand up to 6 hours.
7. Using slotted spoon, lift shrimp frompickling mixture. Arrange on platter.
8. Servewith crusty bread.
9. A special meal like thisdeserves a bubbly beginning. With theshrimp, pour a crisp Champagne. We likethe Franck Bonville NV Brut Sélection(France, $30), which is fruity with citrusand mineral notes.
10. Fresh bay leaves are soldin the produce section of the supermarket.
11. Bon Appétit