Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Garlicky Shrimp with Bread Crumbs


Shrimp is one of my favorite proteins to cook.  Its easy, cheap, and quick.  And it can be so elegant, thereby making it a perfect meal for a special occasion or for entertaining.  This shrimp certainly falls in that category.  Shrimp are seared, then cooked in a flavorful sauce of sherry and clam juice, and seasoned with shallot, parsley, lots of garlic, and a pinch of red pepper flakes.  They are then topped with toasted buttery breadcrumbs.  I was blown away by this meal.  So much so, that I'm adding it to my menu next week - and I rarely repeat recipes that soon! 

One Year Ago:  Sunflower Cupcakes


Garlicky Shrimp with Buttered Breadcrumbs
from Cook's Illustrated, American Classics
serves 4 as a main course
  • 1 (3-inch) piece of baguette, cut into small pieces
  • 5 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 5 pieces
  • kosher salt and black pepper
  • 2 Tablespoons minced parsley leaves
  • 2 pounds jumbo (21-25 per pound) shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 1/4 teaspoon sugar
  • 4 teaspoons vegetable oil
  • 5medium garlic cloves, minced (about 5 teaspoons)
  • 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 2 teaspoons unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup dry sherry
  • 2/3 cup bottled clam juice
  • 2 teaspoons juice from 1 lemon, plus 1 lemon, cut into wedges
Pulse the bread in a food processor until coarsely ground (you should have about 1 cup of crumbs).  Thoroughly dry the shrimp with paper towels; toss with sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper.  Set aside.

Melt 1 Tablespoon of the butter in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat.  When the foaming subsides, add the crumbs, shallot, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.  Cook, stirring often, until the crumbs are golden-brown, 7-10 minutes.  Stir in 1 tablespoon of the parsley and transfer to a plate to cool.

Wipe out the skillet with a paper towel.  Return to high heat, and 2 teaspoons of the oil, and heat until shimmering.  Add half the shrimp in a single layer, being careful not to overcrowd the skillet.  Cook until they are spotty brown and the edges turn pink, about 3 minutes (do not flip them!).  Remove the skillet from heat and transfer the shrimp to a plate.  Wipe out the skillet, and repeat with the remaining shrimp and oil; transfer to the plate.

Return the skillet to medium heat and melt 1 Tablespoon of butter.  Add the garlic and red pepper flakes, and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant and just beginning to color, about 1 minute.  Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.

Increase the heat to medium-high and slowly whisk in the sherry and clam juice.  Bring to a simmer and cook until the mixture has reduced to 3/4 cup, about 3-4 minutes.  Whisk in remaining 3 Tablespoons of butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, and stir in lemon juice and remaining tablespoon of parsley.

Reduce heat to medium-low, return shrimp to skillet, and toss to combine.  Cover and cook until shrimp are pink and cooked through, 2-3 minutes.  Divide shrimp and sauce evenly among plates or shallow bowls, and sprinkle with the bread crumbs.  Serve with lemon wedges.


5 comments:

Smitten Sugar said...

My boyfriend would love these! I am not a seafood fan but he always wants me to try new things with shrimp. Cant wait to try these out

Cooking with tien said...

This dish looks amazing... Tien

Unknown said...

Looks fantastic, I have been enjoying shrimp all week myself.

Elizabeth said...

Beautiful photo! And those shrimp look divine.

Karin said...

OMG... Josie... these look so good I want to go through the monitor to get them! Well done!

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