SHRIMP SCAMPI

or “SHRIMP-SHRIMP” as my Lithuanian-Canadian-American husband says, because saying shrimp scampi is redundant. Scampi is the Italian word for shrimp. When my mother made this dish, she often chopped up some fresh parsley for color and more depth of flavor. Also, her garlic-to-food ratio was such that we used to say Mom liked a little food with her garlic. You decide!

One important element of Italian cuisine is to use no more than a few of the finest, freshest ingredients in a recipe. Rarely do I refer to printed recipes, unless it’s for the chemical balance in baked goods, or the right amount of an herb I don’t often use. Double this recipe if feeding 3-4. If desired, serve over rice or linguine, or over sautéed fresh spinach. Add crusty Italian bread, a tossed salad and a bottle of wine for a complete meal.

The other night, despite the lack of fresh parsley, which finishes off a dish like scampi not only for color and texture, but also for flavor, I rinsed a half pound of large white Florida shrimp, deveined and shelled, and sautéed them in a pan with a quarter-pound of good butter (Kerry Gold) and a splash of EVOO. Because my husband hates overcooked seafood, I have all my ingredients prepped and ready to add to the pan (heated on medium heat). The oil and butter went in first, and then one-half of a finely sliced shallot and two large cloves of thinly sliced garlic. As the butter melted and began to sizzle, I added the whole shrimp.

INGREDIENTS:

1 T. EVOO

2 cloves fresh Garlic, thinly sliced (or more, as desired)

½ large Shallot

¼ c. unsalted Butter

½ pound large or jumbo white or red Shrimp, peeled and deveined (most stores will do this for you gratis, and depending upon your recipe, you may choose to leave the tails attached)

¼ c. Chardonnay (preferably one you would drink with this dinner)

2 T. Fresh Italian Parsley, chopped (optional, or for garnish)

THE RECIPE:

Melt butter with the olive oil in a large skillet.

Add garlic and stir until begins to turn golden on the edges.

Sautee Shrimp until pink.

Pour in a ¼ cup of fine drinking chardonnay. Once mixture bubbles AND SHRIMP TURN OPAQUE, remove from heat and serve immediately. Serve steamed broccoli (in garlic and olive oil), or serve over a bed of rice, pasta, spaghetti squash, or spinach. As you can see in the above photo, I cooked with and drank a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc on that occasion. Different wines will enhance your scampi with different subtleties.

I (bless myself with the sign of the cross, lift eyes to heaven: “Sorry, Grandma Dearie, for putting cheese on seafood”) enjoy fresh grated Locatelli Romano on this dish. Most of us also add crushed red pepper to our own plates, as desired. Serves 2.

NOTE: I always order wine from Naked Wines (https://us.nakedwines.com/), in fact, I’m a supporting Angel, and in this recipe, I happened to have F. Stephen Millier’s 2016 Chardonnay Lodi. If I’m going to eat alcohol in my food, I want it to be good enough for me to drink. I have never been disappointed with any wine from this company, especially from Millier. Cheers, and buon appetite.