Poached Shrimp with Cheater Lemon Aioli

I have made this simple but flavor packed shrimp and aioli a bunch of times and it always goes over well.  It's a bit more decadent than shrimp and seafood sauce.  Now, it is a cheater aioli but that doesn't mean it's not delicious.  It means it's way easier than whipping up a true aoili, which is a real treat, but time consuming and sometimes finicky.  All of this can be made earlier in the day, which is how I always do it. 
You could use pre-cooked shrimp in a pinch but I have to say, the texture of poached shrimp beats the pulp out of the pre-cooked stuff.  You can poach it with or without the shell.  If you do use shell on shrimp, you'll need to peel them after.  The shell can also help keep the shrimp moist and flavourful while poaching.  It really only takes a few minutes...trust me....I wouldn't lie to you about something like shrimp.....or any other food for that matter.  That's just mean.
Saffron....not the cheapest of items you can buy but a little goes a long way.  You can omit it but it truly does lend a flavor you can't get from anything else.  Totally up to you.  The aioli can also be used on salmon or for dipping steamed asparagus. 

Poached Shrimp with Cheater Lemon Aioli

1 lb Shrimp, uncooked with or without shell
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
lemon zest, from half a lemon
1/4 tsp saffron
pepper to taste (optional)


Fill a large pot with water and add in any or all of these optional ingredients for poaching - half a lemon, handful of parsley, 8 peppercorns, smashed clove of garlic, good pinch of salt and bay leaf.  Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium low and let simmer for 10 minutes.  Add the shrimp into the poaching liquid and cook for 2-3 minutes or until shrimp turns pink and curls.  DO NOT overcook the shrimp.  Remove from liquid and refrigerate until chilled.
Crumble the Saffron into 1 tbsp of hot water for a couple of minutes.  Combine the mayonnaise, garlic, lemon zest, saffron and soaking liquid and pepper if using.  Refrigerate for at least 1/2 hour or up to 12 hours.  Serve with poached shrimp.