Like a certain movie fighter pilot recently said, “it’s been a minute, huh, Mav?” This is much the same, but with food, not an F-14 Tomcat, so buckle in for the first #CookingForLieutenants thread in ages. Tonight we’re making shrimp scampi.
2. First, what is scampi? Scampi are langoustines, or small lobsters for lack of a better term. The original Italian recipe for scampi sautéed them with garlic, lemon, & white wine. When the recipe crossed the pond, “scampi” became synonymous with any seafood cooked that way.
3. Ingredients:
EVOO
1 # shrimp, peeled & de-veined
Juice of 1 lemon
1 shallot, diced small
4 to ♾️ garlic cloves, minced
2-3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/2 stick butter
1/3 cup white wine
Optional: chopped parsley to garnish
Mandatory: bread to soak up sauce
4. Whisk together 4 minced cloves, 1 tbsp salt, & 2 tbsp EVOO. Marinate the shrimp & leave refrigerated for 30-45 minutes.
5. Fill a pot with water. Liberally salt the water. Cook your long pasta, preferably linguine, but bucatini also works. Drain & set aside, but save about 1/2 cup of the pasta water for later.
6. In a large skillet, sauté the shallot & sliced garlic with 2 tbsp each butter & EVOO over medium-high heat until fragrant & translucent, about 2 minutes.
7. Add the juice of 1 lemon & 1/2 cup white wine - preferably dry like a Sauvignon Blanc, but in this case, Chardonnay. Season with salt & pepper. Optional: red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil, add 1 tbsp butter, & simmer on low.
8. Remove the marinated shrimp from the fridge & add to your pan or skillet. Raise heat & sauté for 2-3 minutes, until the shrimp is cooked through & looks pink. Add about 1/2 cup of pasta water.
9. Once the shrimp are cooked, turn off the heat, then throw in your pasta & stir. Optional: garnish with chiffonade parsley, but my sous-chef doesn’t like it.
10. Make sure your fiercest food critic approves of her idea & its execution. Also make sure that you’ve got some crusty bread to sop up the leftover broth.
11. Total prep time, 15 minutes. Total cooking time, 20-25 minutes. Thanks for joining me on a looooong awaited episode of #CookingForLieutenants. Class is dismissed. Be excellent to each other.
Share this Scrolly Tale with your friends.
A Scrolly Tale is a new way to read Twitter threads with a more visually immersive experience.
Discover more beautiful Scrolly Tales like this.