Garlic Shrimp
A staple in Portugal, this simple meal channels the European seaside and warm evenings dining al fresco. You can easily make it in under 30 minutes. Pair with a glass of your favorite wine, some grilled bread and you've got yourself a perfect meal.
Servings: 2
Ingredients
- 1 lb Wild-caught shell-on shrimp, fresh or frozen (can also use peeled, deveined - see note about shrimp)
- 6 Garlic cloves
- 3 tbsp Butter (or olive oil)
- 1/4 tsp Sea salt
- Red pepper flakes (optional, if desired)
- Sourdough or other bread for serving (see note)
Instructions
- If your shrimp is frozen, place the shrimp in a bowl of lukewarm water. Once thawed, drain.
- If you are using shell-on shrimp, carefully slice down the back of the shell with sharp knife or kitchen shears. Use a knife to cut out the vein while making sure to keep the shell intact.
- Slice each garlic clove into thin slices.
- If you plan to serve bread with your shrimp, prep that so it's done at the same time as your shrimp. If you are using your oven to warm a whole baguette or bake a "take and bake" loaf from the grocery store, plan for that method accordingly. If you wish to serve toasted or grilled slices, you can do either of the following while you cook the shrimp at the same time:Toasted method #1: butter (or oil) your slices and place them buttered-side down on another skillet on your stovetop and cook on medium-high heat until desired brownness. Toasted method #2: place your buttered slices of bread on a cookie sheet and broil in the oven until your desired brownness.Grill method: place your buttered or grilled bread buttered-side down directly on the grill grates and cook until desired brownness.
- Heat the butter (or oil) in a skillet over medium heat on the stovetop. Alternatively, you can use your outdoor grill and a grill-safe pan (I love to use my paella pan on the grill for this dish!).
- Once the butter is sizzling, add the garlic, shrimp, salt and red pepper flakes (if using). Sauté, stirring and flipping the shrimp every couple minutes until cooked through. You can tell the shrimp is fully cooked when the shells have turned a pinkish color (it will be obviously different from their original color). If you used peeled shrimp, you can tell when it becomes opaque. You'll be surprised how fast shrimp cooks!
- Transfer the shrimp and garlic butter/oil to a serving dish. Serve with your bread and your favorite beverage. Sop up the garlic butter with your bread and/or smear on a little more room-temperature butter for a decadent treat!
Notes
- Shrimp: we use different "types" of shrimp depending on what we have on-hand at home or what might be available at the store. If our store has wild-caught shrimp on sale at the fish counter, we'll pick up a pound of that and make this dish that same day or the next day. If our store has frozen shrimp on sale, we'll usually purchase a bag to keep on-hand for those times when we want this dish and want to use what we already have available. I love making this with shrimp that have the shells on whenever I can. I had this dish that way in Portugal as well as with peeled shrimp and you really can tell a difference in taste! However, as I said above, I decide which version of shrimp I use depending on what's available to me and my preferences on that given day! The only recommendation I will make is that you purchase wild-caught shrimp rather than farm-raised, as it is a much healthier option.
- Bread: similar to the shrimp, we've served bread a number of ways with this dish. Sometimes, we use slices of Brianna's homemade sourdough bread and grill it or toast it. Sometimes, we use a "take and bake" batard or baguette from the grocery store and bake the entire loaf. Then, we slice it and smear it with some soft butter and use it to soak up all those delicious pan juices! The nice softness of the bread is a great accompaniment to the dish. The crunchier, tougher chew of the sourdough slices are a welcome change, too. We always have slices in the freezer so it's easy to use this when we don't plan to go to the store, or prefer it over a softer bread or larger loaf.
- Low-carb / keto: you can certainly eat the shrimp alone and skip the bread. The shrimp is meant to be the star of this meal! You could pair it with your favorite vegetable side for some more substance to your meal. Another option is to make little Parmesan "shells" by sprinkling Parmesan or a similar hard cheese in small circles on a parchment- or Silpat-lined baking sheet and baking at 400 degrees until very bubbly and browning at the edges. Allow to cool enough to handle, and then you can wrap your shrimp in one and eat it like little shrimp scampi taco tapas! Say that five times fast! If you have the shell on your shrimp, you'd need to remove that first. :)