Equipment
Ingredients
Proteins
- 400 g shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails removed
- 150 g cooked ham, diced into 1cm cubes
Sauce Aromatics and Base
- 30 g unsalted butter
- 2 shallot, finely chopped
- 2 garlic, minced
- 60 ml dry white wine
- 200 ml heavy cream
- 15 g dijon mustard
Finishing and Serving
- 5 g fresh tarragon, finely chopped
- 2 g kosher salt
- 1 g black pepper, freshly cracked
- 4 crusty hard rolls, tops sliced off and hollowed out
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 639 kcal
- Protein
- 40 g
- Carbohydrates
- 49 g
- Fat
- 32 g
- Fiber
- 3 g
- Sugar
- 4 g
- Sodium
- 1132 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 16 g
- Trans Fat
- 1 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 7 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 3 g
- Cholesterol
- 234 mg
- Potassium
- 629 mg
- Calcium
- 206 mg
- Iron
- 4.4 mg
- Magnesium
- 70 mg
- Phosphorus
- 437 mg
- Zinc
- 2.3 mg
- Vitamin A
- 259 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 3 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.8 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 1.0 mg
- Vitamin K
- 3 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.1 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.41 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.38 mg
- Niacin
- 3.5 mg
- Folate
- 84 mcg
- Water
- 160 g
- Alcohol
- 2 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Prepare the hard rolls by slicing off the top quarter of each roll. Gently hollow out the soft interior crumb to create bread bowls, leaving a sturdy outer crust. Reserve the hollowed rolls and their tops.
Melt the unsalted butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the diced ham and cook until slightly browned and aromatic, about 4 minutes.
Add the finely chopped shallots and minced garlic to the skillet with the ham. Cook, stirring frequently, until the shallots are softened and translucent, about 3 minutes.
Pour the dry white wine into the skillet to deglaze the pan. Scrape the bottom with a wooden spoon to release any browned bits. Simmer until the wine has reduced by half.
Stir in the heavy cream and Dijon mustard until well combined. Bring the liquid to a gentle, steady simmer.
Add the raw shrimp to the simmering cream sauce. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, flipping halfway, until the shrimp turn pink, become fully opaque, and reach an internal temperature of 63 degrees Celsius or 145 degrees Fahrenheit.
Remove the skillet from the heat. Stir in the chopped fresh tarragon, kosher salt, and freshly cracked black pepper. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
Place the hollowed hard rolls on individual serving plates. Spoon the hot creamy shrimp and ham mixture generously into the center of each roll, allowing the sauce to overflow slightly onto the plate. Serve immediately.
Chef's Notes
- Tarragon adds a distinct anise note that pairs beautifully with shellfish and cream, a classic French flavor profile. If you find tarragon overwhelming, fresh parsley offers a cleaner, more universally accepted finish.
- Be mindful of the salt content before adding any extra seasoning at the end. The ham, Dijon mustard, and reduced sauce all concentrate the sodium levels significantly.
- If your sauce seems too thin, you can remove the cooked shrimp and simmer the liquid alone for an extra two minutes until it thickly coats the back of a spoon, then gently return the shrimp to the pan.
- Toaling the hard rolls in a warm oven for five minutes before hollowing them out will revitalize their crust and make them even better vessels for the rich sauce.
Storage
Refrigerator: 2 days — Store the cream sauce and the bread rolls in separate airtight containers to prevent the bread from becoming soggy.
Troubleshooting
Cream sauce separates or curdles
Cause: The heat was too high, or the cream did not have enough fat content to remain stable when mixed with wine.
Fix: Remove from heat immediately, add a splash of cold heavy cream, and whisk vigorously to bring the emulsion back together.
Prevention: Use heavy cream with at least 36 percent fat and keep the heat at a gentle simmer rather than a rapid boil.
Shrimp are tough and rubbery
Cause: The shrimp were left in the simmering liquid for too long.
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Remove the pan from the heat as soon as the shrimp turn pink and opaque.
Bread rolls became a mushy paste
Cause: The dish sat for too long before serving, allowing the hot liquid to completely destroy the crumb structure.
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Assemble the dish immediately before eating and ensure you leave a sturdy crust when hollowing out the rolls.
Cultural Context
Serving hearty stews or rich, cream-based fricassees in hollowed bread is a rustic technique deeply rooted in European culinary history. This particular combination of delicate seafood, cured pork, and wine-laced cream leans heavily on French coastal traditions, marrying the bounty of the sea with inland preserved meats. The crusty roll acts as an edible vessel, soaking up the flavorful sauce while maintaining a satisfying crunch.
