Shrimp is one of the world’s most versatile protein foods, said Wayne Curtis and David McAninch in Saveur. It’s the main ingredient in countless recipes. You can cook it “almost any old way,” then partner it with anything from butter to lemon juice to chilies to, “lest we forget, cocktail sauce.” Shrimp also comes in a variety of shapes, colors, and sizes, from tiny Pacific pinks to sweet Gulf of Mexico brown shrimp to the lobster-like rock shrimp found in the waters off Florida. Two of our favorite shrimp dishes are spicy barbecued shrimp, a New Orleans specialty, and shrimp scampi with linguine.
Recipes of the week
Barbecued Shrimp
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Despite its name, this dish—based on one served by chef Tory McPhail at Commander’s Palace in New Orleans—never touches a grill.
16 jumbo shrimp, cleaned (tails left on)
2 tbsp Creole or Cajun seasoning
1/4 cup canola oil
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1/2 cup beer
6 tbsp hot sauce
6 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
5 tbsp fresh lemon juice
12 tbsp cold butter, cut into small pieces
1 loaf crusty French bread
Heat large skillet over medium heat until hot. Meanwhile, put shrimp and Creole seasoning into bowl; toss to coat. Set aside. Add oil and garlic to skillet; cook until golden, about 1 minute. Add rosemary, cook for 2–3 seconds. Add shrimp, flipping once, until each starts to turn pink, about 30 seconds. Transfer shrimp to large plate; set aside. Add beer, hot sauce, Worcestershire, and lemon juice to skillet; stir well. Cook sauce, stirring, until thickened, 7–8 minutes.
Remove skillet from heat; whisk in butter a few pieces at a time to further thicken sauce. Return shrimp to skillet; toss to coat. Return skillet to medium heat and cook until shrimp are cooked through, 2–3 minutes. Transfer shrimp and sauce to 4 deep plates. Serve with chunks of crusty French bread for dipping. Serves 4.
Shrimp Scampi With Linguine
Like veal Parmesan, this dish—redolent of garlic and white wine—is a purely Italian-American creation.
Salt
3/4 lb dried linguine
12 tbsp butter, cubed
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
12 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 lbs medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
Freshly ground black pepper
2 cups white wine
1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
Bring large pot of salted water to boil. Cook linguine until al dente, 9–10 minutes. Ladle out and reserve 3/4 cup of the pasta water, then drain linguine.
Meanwhile, combine 4 tbsp butter, oil, pepper flakes, and garlic in large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring, until garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute. Add shrimp, season to taste with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until just pink but not completely cooked through, 2–3
minutes. Transfer shrimp to plate, set aside.
Return skillet to medium-high heat. Add wine and cook, stirring and scraping bottom of skillet to release browned bits, until sauce
has thickened, 8–10 minutes. Return shrimp to skillet along with cooked linguine and 1/2 cup reserved cooking water; toss well. Add remaining butter, parsley, lemon zest and juice, and reserved cooking water; toss well. Cook until sauce has thickened slightly, 1–2 minutes more. Serve immediately. Serves 4.
