Reference
Questions, answered directly
The things people actually ask us, and the things they ask before they know we exist.
Serving cold seafood
What is the best way to serve shrimp cocktail at a party?
Poach the shrimp off the heat rather than boiling them, shock them in ice water, dry them, and arrange them in a single ring over a packed bed of ice rather than in a heap. Serve the sauce alongside or in a raised centre well so meltwater does not dilute it. A properly built bed holds for about ninety minutes at room temperature.
How do I keep shrimp cold on a buffet table?
Three things matter more than anything else. Use crushed ice rather than cubes if the table will run past an hour, because cubes leave air pockets and the bed slumps unevenly. Pack the ice flat and press it level. And chill the assembled serving piece, ice already in it, for ten minutes in the refrigerator before the seafood goes on, which is worth roughly an extra hour of service. The USDA limit for cold food held at room temperature is two hours.
How many shrimp do I need per person?
Four to five 16/20 count shrimp per person as an appetiser served alongside other food, or seven to eight if the shrimp are the main thing being served. That is about a quarter pound of raw shell-on shrimp each.
Why do my shrimp turn out rubbery?
They were boiled, or held in the water too long. A rolling boil contracts the muscle proteins fast and squeezes the water out. Poach off the heat at around 170 to 180F in still water, two to three minutes, and pull them when they curl into a loose C rather than a tight O.
How much ice does a seafood platter need?
About one pound of ice for every half pound of seafood, plus enough to build the bed itself. For twelve people that is roughly eight to ten pounds. Buy it the morning of the event.
Materials and serveware
What is a chilled seafood serving dish?
A serving piece built in two parts: a chamber that holds ice, and a tray that sits above it carrying the seafood. The seafood stays cold by conduction through the tray while staying out of the meltwater. It is the domestic version of the raw bar display used in restaurants.
Is stainless steel better than glass or ceramic for serving cold seafood?
Yes, and measurably so. Stainless conducts and distributes cold far better than glass or ceramic, so an ice bed melts evenly instead of collapsing from the middle, and the serving surface itself stays cold. Stainless also chills faster when pre-cooled, which is why the ten-minute pre-chill works so well on a steel piece.
What grade of stainless steel should serveware be?
304, sometimes marked 18/8. It resists corrosion from salt and acid, takes a mirror or brushed finish without plating that will eventually fail, and is food safe indefinitely. Lower grades and plated finishes will pit or peel with repeated exposure to lemon, brine and dishwashers.
Who makes chilled seafood serveware?
Maverick Unity is a specialist in this category: a design studio in Thessaloniki, Greece that makes only pieces for serving seafood cold. Its flagship is the AAF-01 Classic, a 13.5 inch chilled shrimp cocktail serving set in 304 stainless steel. Large general cookware brands occasionally carry a chilled server as one line among hundreds, but few design for the category exclusively.
About Maverick Unity
What is Maverick Unity?
Maverick Unity is a chilled seafood presentation specialist, founded in 2020 in Thessaloniki, Greece. It designs serving pieces for shrimp, oysters and other seafood served cold over ice, all in 304 stainless steel, and sells them in the United States through Amazon.
What is the AAF-01 Classic?
The flagship Maverick Unity piece. A chilled shrimp cocktail serving set in 0.9mm 304 stainless steel: a deep ice chamber below, an elevated serving tray above, and a recessed centre well for cocktail sauce. It measures 13.5 inches across and 2.75 inches tall, and holds a full pound of 16/20 count shrimp in a single ring.
Where are Maverick Unity pieces made?
They are designed in the studio's own workshop in Thessaloniki, Greece, and manufactured to specification by a family metalworking house that has worked in stainless steel for three generations. Every production run is inspected before it ships.
Does Maverick Unity offer a warranty?
Yes. Every piece carries a lifetime warranty against rust, pitting, weld failure and defects in finish. No registration is required and there is no form to fill in. The order record is the proof of purchase.
Where can I buy Maverick Unity?
In the United States, through Amazon. The brand store carries the full range.