Ingredients:
2 fresh or dried bay leaves
4 strips lemon peel
7 parsley stems
1 teaspoonblack peppercorns
1 1/2 teaspoonskosher salt, divided
1 1/2 poundsU-20 shrimp
1 cuppacked dill fronds, chopped
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
3 tablespoonsextra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoonsfish sauce
Finely grated zest from 1 large lemon
1 tablespoonplus 1 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice (from about 1/2 large lemon)
1 pinchground cayenne
4 slices of sourdough bread, toasted
1 large avocado, pitted and sliced
Directions:
Peel and de-vein the shrimp, saving the shells. Rinse the deveined shrimp under cold water in a colander.
Arrange the bay leaves, lemon peels, parsley stems, and peppercorns on a piece of muslin or cheesecloth. Pile the shrimp shells on top and tie the bundle with kitchen twine.
Place the bundle in a large saucepan. Add 3 cups of water and 1 teaspoon of salt. Set over high heat. When the liquid is just shy of boiling, remove the pan from the heat. Use tongs to lift the aromatics bundle, then add the shrimp. Gently press them to submerge, then add back the aromatics bundle and press it down. Let the shrimp steep for about 4 minutes, stirring the shrimp halfway through, just the outsides turn pink and opaque. Use a slotted spoon to pluck out the shrimp and transfer them to a shallow bowl to cool. Squeeze the aromatics bundle of any residual liquid and discard, and reserve the poaching liquid.
In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, fish sauce, lemon zest and juice, cayenne, and remaining ½ teaspoon of salt. Whisk until emulsified. Add the red onion and dill to the shrimp, then pour the dressing over top, plus 2 tablespoons of poaching liquid. Toss to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Serve piled onto toast with sliced avocado.