A creamy Swedish-style shrimp and dill rice, built on the same butter-cream-dill base used in Swedish fish stews and sauces.
Dill and cream form the backbone of Swedish fish cookery, showing up in everything from gravlax sauce to fish soup (fisksoppa). This dish channels that same base into a comforting rice bowl: shrimp gently poached in a butter-cream sauce built on a soft-cooked onion, brightened with mustard for a little sharpness and finished with a heavy hand of fresh dill, then served over rice to soak up the sauce. The key technique is keeping the shrimp from overcooking. They go into the cream sauce only in the final few minutes, just long enough to turn pink and curl slightly — any longer and they turn rubbery, which is the single most common mistake with quick shrimp dishes. The sauce itself should be simmered gently rather than boiled hard, since cream can split if it's pushed too fast. This isn't a single named Swedish classic, but the pairing of cream, dill, mustard and shellfish reflects real Swedish coastal cooking, particularly in the west coast fishing towns where shrimp and cream sauces are a lunchtime staple. Serve it hot, straight from the pan, with extra dill scattered over the top.
Serves 4
Melt butter in a wide skillet over medium heat. Cook onion for 5 to 6 minutes until soft and translucent, then add garlic for 30 seconds until fragrant.
Stir in mustard, then pour in cream and stock. Bring to a gentle simmer, not a boil, and let it reduce slightly for 5 minutes.
Keep the heat at a gentle simmer once the cream goes in — boiling hard can cause it to split.
Season the sauce with salt and white pepper, then add the shrimp in a single layer. Cook 3 to 4 minutes, turning once, until just pink and curled.
Remove from heat and stir in most of the chopped dill, reserving some for garnish.
Spoon warm rice into bowls, ladle the creamy shrimp over the top, and finish with the reserved dill and a lemon wedge on the side.
Buy raw shrimp rather than pre-cooked — pre-cooked shrimp will turn tough and rubbery once simmered in the sauce.
Add the dill off the heat, not while the sauce is still simmering hard, so it keeps its bright green color and fresh flavor.
If the sauce is too thin, simmer it uncovered for a few extra minutes before adding the shrimp rather than adding cornstarch.
Fish version: swap the shrimp for chunks of firm white fish like cod, poaching for 5 to 6 minutes instead.
Lighter version: use half cream, half whole milk for a lighter sauce that still holds together.
Add crayfish: fold in cooked crayfish tails along with the shrimp for a more festive west-coast Swedish spread.
The cream sauce is best eaten fresh, but leftovers keep in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat gently over low heat, stirring often, and avoid boiling to keep the shrimp from toughening.
Cream, mustard and dill sauces are a mainstay of Swedish coastal cooking, particularly in west coast towns where fresh shrimp is abundant and traditionally served simply, either cold with mayonnaise or warm in a light cream sauce like this one.
Yes, just thaw them fully and pat dry first so excess water doesn't thin out the cream sauce.
This usually happens when the cream is boiled too hard or too long. Keep it at a gentle simmer, and add the mustard before the cream reaches a full boil.
Dijon mustard works as a substitute, though you'll lose some of the textured bite; use slightly less since Dijon can taste sharper.
Per serving (380g / 13.4 oz) · 4 servings total
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