Shrimps

Ingredients

• 5 quarts water
• 1 large bunch celery
• 24 whole allspice
• 12 whole cloves
• 2 blades mace
• fresh herbs
• 1 pod red pepper
• Cayenne
• 100 whole shrimps
• cracked ice
• parsley

Instructions

1. Bring five quarts of very salt water—almost brine—to a boil. Add the chopped celery (roots, leaves, and all), allspice, cloves, mace, a small bouquet of chopped fresh herbs, a pod of red pepper, and a seasoning of Cayenne. Boil until the strength of the herbs and seasoning is well extracted.
2. Throw in one hundred shrimps (river shrimps are best) and let them boil hard for ten minutes. Remove from the fire and allow the shrimps to cool in the brine.
3. Serve as a relish before dinner on a bed of cracked ice, garnished with parsley.