Shrimp Scampi

My dining room is kind of small and eight people seem to fit just right – more than eight and I start thinking “get some help to serve and clean.” But I like to do things by myself and, as you will see, this dish allows me to “show off,” yet spend more time with my guests than in the kitchen.

I am amazed at how differently various restaurants prepare their “shrimp scampi.” I’ve tried numerous variations. After countless efforts, I suggest the following, which can be prepared well in advance, giving you a chance to share most of the pre-dinner cocktail hour with your guests.

To begin, you need jumbo shrimp—an oxymoron, if I’ve ever heard one. In New Orleans, where I lived for four years, you can get fresh shrimp with their heads on. But up north here, virtually all shrimp available to us are farm raised and frozen before market. Choose unshelled shrimp 16-20 per pound. Smaller shrimp than that will not do.

The most difficult part of this dish is preparing the shrimp. In order to expose most of the meat, turn the shrimp so that the underside is toward you.  With a small paring knife, slice the shrimp from end to end without cutting through the shell. Leave the legs on. Using your thumbs, push the shell on the top side so that the meat is exposed and the shrimp is bent slightly at the middle. The effort will be worth it.

In a medium saucepan, over low heat, melt butter and olive oil. I use a half cup of butter and a half cup of olive oil, but you can adjust the combination to suit your taste as long as it equals one cup. Next add the garlic, lemon juice, dry mustard, Worcestershire Sauce, red pepper, spices, salt and minced parsley. Mix ingredients well, simmer for three to five minutes and turn off heat.

When cooled, dip each shrimp in the mixture and arrange on a foil-lined baking sheet.

Next, add a half cup of white wine to the saucepan, bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes or so. Spoon the contents over the shrimp. Be sure to distribute all the spices and garlic over the shrimp. This can all be done a day in advance. Cover it and place in the refrigerator until ready to cook.

Before serving, heat oven to 400 degrees and bring a large pot of slightly salted water to a boil.

About 15 minutes before your guests are seated at the table, put the shrimp in the oven for eight to 10 minutes, depending on the size of your shrimp. Put your linguini in the boiling water for nine minutes for “al dente.”

Drain the pasta and put a small mound on each plate. Arrange the shrimp on the pasta, spoon remaining sauce over the shrimp.

Add a nice Caesar salad, some crusty bread, a bottle of Chianti and some nice Andrea Bocelli music in the background and you are ready to dine at home—Italian style!

Ingredients for Shrimp Scampi

(serves eight)

Shrimp– depending on size, 5-8 shrimp per person—try 16-20/lb

3-4 tbsp. minced garlic

½ cup butter *

½ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil *

          * (Use any combination of these two ingredients as long at it totals          one cup)

3 tbsp. lemon juice

1 tsp. dry mustard

2 tsp. Worcestershire Sauce

¼ generous tsp. crushed dried red pepper

1 tsp. fresh oregano *

1 tsp. fresh basil *

1 tsp. fresh tarragon *

          * (Note:  You can substitute dried spices or even a dried “Italian herb      seasoning,”           in which case you would use two teaspoons total of dried      herbs or generous three teaspoons of fresh ingredients.)

½ tsp. salt

3 tbsp. minced parsley

1 ½ pounds linguine