Shrimp With Orange Sherry Mayonnaise

Appetizer recipe from "First Impressions" by Betty Rosbottom. This sauce works well with shellfish like shrimp, scallops or crab.

• Ready In: 25 mins
• Serves: 50
• Yields: 2 lbs.

Ingredients

• For the Mayonnaise

• 1  cup mayonnaise, Hellman's is preferred
• 1  tablespoon dry sherry
• 2 1⁄2 teaspoons orange zest, grated

• For the shrimp

• 1  large navel orange
• 3  tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more if needed
• 3  tablespoons olive oil, plus more if needed
• 2  lbs large shrimp, 21/30 count, peeled and deveined
•  lemon leaves (to garnish) (optional)

Directions

1. To prepare the sherry mayonnaise, whisk the mayonnaise, sherry and orange zest together in a mixing bowl. Cover and refrigerate. This can be prepared up to 2 days ahead of serving.
2. Use a vegetable stripper to cut long strips of the peel from the navel orange. Cut the orange peel into very thin julienne strips about 3" long. This can be done a day ahead of serving and wrapped in moistened paper towels and then tightly wrapped in plastic wrap. Cover and refrigerate.
3. To cook the shrimp, heat 2 tablespoons each of the butter and the oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add enough shrimp to comfortably fit in a single layer in the pan and saute, turning once, until the shrimp are curled and pink; about 3-4 minutes.
4. Drain shrimp on paper towels and continue this process in batches until all the shrimp are cooked, adding the remaining or additional butter or oil as needed.
5. The shrimp are served at room temperature so they can be prepared in advance and left at cool room temperature for 30-40 minutes.
6. To serve, place a bowl of the mayo in a serving tray and surround the bowl with the shrimp on a bed of lemon leaves. Sprinkle with the orange peel over the shrimp.