Surfing Ruined My Life

Shrimp Scampi
Over White Rice with Balsamic Roasted Vegetables

Little pumpkin in the foreground for the season.

I have not eaten shrimp scampi in years.  It was always one of my favorite dishes as a kid to order at restaurants.  Then on a family vacation to Charleston South Carolina I ordered shrimp scampi for dinner before getting on our flight home.  Half way through the flight I threw up all over myself and this oversized toy rubber fly I must have picked up on the trip.  I was unable to get the barf bag out and opened in time.  I always have been one of the worst barfers in the business.  As a result I had an unpleasant association with shrimp scampi and refrained from eating it up until just recently when I made it myself.  There is nothing like introducing a recipe like a story involving vomit.

Total Cost: $10.25
Feeds about 4 people

Ingredient List:

• Shrimp – 1lb (unshelled)
• Butter – 2 tablespoons
• Salt – 1 tablespoon
• Pepper – 1 teaspoon
• Garlic – 2 teaspoons (minced)
• Vermouth – ¼ cup
• Lemon Juice – 2 tablespoons
• Parsley – 2 teaspoons
• Lemon Zest – ¼ teaspoon (grated)
• Oregano – 1 teaspoon (Dry)
• Basil – 1 table spoon (Fresh, Chopped)
• Olive Oil – 1 ½ table spoon
• Cayenne Pepper – 1 teaspoon
• Parmesan Cheese – 4 teaspoons (Grated, Optional)
• White Rice
• Roasted Vegetables

Step 1: Prepare the Shrimp – take the shells and legs off all shrimp.  Lay all shrimp in a plate flat and pat completely dry with a paper towel.  Put shrimp in a medium size mixing bowl.  Combine Salt, Pepper, Oregano, and Cayenne pepper with shrimp and dry rub all the spices with the shrimp till all are evenly coated then lay all shrimp back flat on a plate.

Step 2: Cook The Rice – See Cooking White Rice Blog.

Step 3: Cook Balsamic Roasted Vegetables – See Balsamic Roasted Vegetable Blog

Step 4: Fry The Shrimp – In a large frying pan melt 2 tablespoons of butter with 1 ½ tablespoon of Olive Oil on a medium flame.  When fully melted place plate of shrimp over the pan and let shrimp fall as they laid in plate so that all sit flat in pan and raise heat to a high flame.  Squeeze some lemon juice over shrimp.  Cook shrimp for about a minute with out moving them.  Then add garlic and turn shrimp over.  Cook for two minutes more.  Remove shrimp from pan.

Step 5: Make the Sauce – In the same pan you cooked the shrimp pour in ¼ cup of Vermouth (if you do not have Vermouth you can substitute White Wine) and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice.  Boil on high flame for about 30 seconds till it thickens a little bit.  Lower flame to low and scrape any brown bits from bottom of pan.  Add lemon Zest and Parsley to Sauce and stir it in.  Return shrimp to the pot and stir it all together constantly stirring for about a minute or so.  Serve over white rice and sprinkle parmesian cheese over the top of shrimp.

This is how your finished shrimp should look.