Garlicky Shrimp Scampi
American cooks use the term scampi to describe sautéed jumbo shrimp in a buttery white wine sauce. Scallops are good with this sauce, too. Small bay scallops will cook in about the same amount of time as the shrimp. If you like, serve the saucy scampi over fresh pasta.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (2 1/2 oz./75 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp. salt, plus more, to taste
- 1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper, plus more, to taste
- 2 Tbs. olive oil, plus more as needed
- 1 1/2 lb. (750 g) jumbo or extra-large shrimp, peeled and
deveined, tails intact - 12 Tbs. (1 1/2 sticks) (6 oz./185 g) unsalted butter
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 cup (2 fl. oz./60 ml) dry white wine
- Grated zest of 1 lemon
- 2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
- 2 Tbs. finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- Lemon wedges for serving
Directions
In a shallow bowl, stir together the flour, the 1/2 tsp. salt and the 1/4 tsp. pepper. In a large fry pan over medium-high heat, warm the 2 Tbs. olive oil. Toss half of the shrimp in the flour mixture to coat evenly, shaking off the excess. Add to the pan and cook, turning occasionally, until opaque throughout, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate and cover loosely with aluminum foil. Repeat with the remaining shrimp, adding more olive oil to the pan as needed.
Reduce the heat to medium-low, add 2 Tbs. of the butter and the garlic to the pan and cook, stirring frequently, until the garlic softens and is fragrant but not browned, about 2 minutes. Add the wine, lemon zest and lemon juice, increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Cook until reduced by half, about 1 minute. Reduce the heat to very low. Whisk in the remaining 10 Tbs. butter, 1 Tbs. at a time, letting each addition soften into a creamy emulsion before adding more.
Return the shrimp to the sauce and mix gently to coat well. Remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle with the parsley. Serve immediately with lemon wedges. Serves 4.
Adapted from Williams-Sonoma One Pot of the Day, by Kate McMillan (Weldon Owen, 2012).