Saturday, September 10, 2011

Shrimp Scampi



I love this dish. I love it because of the clean, simple flavors. Butter, garlic, lemon and plump, wonderful shrimp. And I love that from start to finish, this dish only takes 10 minutes.

This recipe is from Cook's Illustrated. It varies from every other shrimp scampi  recipe by only one ingredient...Cayenne pepper. That one little ingredient gives this recipe a nice little kick. This serves four and I typically serve it with roasted asparagus and rice pilaf.

Ingredients
20 raw shrimp (21-25 per pound)
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons butter
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon dry vermouth
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced
1/2 teaspoon Cayenne pepper
Kosher salt
Fresh ground pepper

Directions

  1. Heat 12-inch skillet over high heat until hot, 2 to 3 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon oil and swirl to coat bottom of pan. Add shrimp and cook, stirring occasionally, until just opaque, about 1 minute; transfer to medium bowl. 
  2. Return empty skillet to medium-low heat; melt 1 tablespoon butter. Add garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Off heat, add lemon juice and vermouth. Whisk in remaining 2 tablespoons butter; add parsley and cayenne, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Return shrimp and accumulated juices to skillet. Toss to combine; serve immediately. 
Wine pairing: A nice, oaky Chardonnay


Happy wedding day to my goddaughter, Alison Hirtz!

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