Scampi (for two)
- 1/2 pound shrimp, tail on but preferably deveined (get them as big or as little as you prefer)
- 3 large cloves garlic, pressed or minced
- crushed red pepper flake, to taste and crushed in your palm to release more oils (I did a small pinch this time and would do more like a small palmful next time!)
- 2 tbsp. olive oil (2 turns around the pan)
- 3 tbsp. butter
- salt if you do not use salted butter, or to taste
- pepper-- freshly ground, if possible!
- about a 1/4 c. of chicken stock, or extra white wine
- a splash of white wine (or more if you don't use the chicken stock)
About an hour or so before cooking, pull the shrimp out of the fridge so that it can come up to room temperature. You run the risk of shrimp that are cooked on the outside and raw inside if you don't do this.
Pull out a skillet, and turn the heat on medium-low. Add the olive oil and 2 tbsp. of the butter, letting the butter melt and foam. Turn the heat down at this point.
Add the garlic and saute until fragrant. Burnt garlic gets bitter so make sure to keep a close "nose" on your skillet! As soon as it is fragrant, add the shrimp, salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper flake. Flip the shrimp after about 2 minutes.
After about 1 1/2 more minutes, making sure the shrimp is curled and pink, remove it from the pan. Keep it warm if possible. Add the stock or wine and the remaining butter. Turn the heat to medium so that the sauce begins to simmer and reduce.
Once the sauce has reduced and thickened to your liking (my preference is about the consistency of melted butter, which is appropriate here), put the shrimp back in the pan, giving it a couple of turns so that it gets coated in the sauce and is definitely warmed through.
Serve in a bowl (over the pasta or rice if you desire). Enjoy!
Sounds yummy! One question, one I ask every time I get shrimp in a restaurant: why are the tails still on? This isn't finger food...
ReplyDeleteGood question! The tails actually help to give any shrimp dish more flavor and to give a little protection from over-cooking. This is why there are some fab shrimp dishes that call for shell-on shrimp. I always ask for extra napkins if I get shrimp in a restaurant, but if you don't want to do finger food, I've also cut the shrimp at the end of the tail. Hope that helps, and thanks for reading!
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