Shrimp Scampi

While researching the proper way to make scampi, I was surprised by two things.  One, it doesn't refer to the pasta dish, just the shellfish part.  And two, lobster can be called shrimp scampi.  Huh?

I got this recipe from the Food Network, but I'm using more butter so it also works as a pasta sauce.  If serving the shrimp by themselves, only use 2 Tb.  And I did use actual butter because I didn't want the result to be oily.  I upped the garlic, because you can never have too much :).  While most versions of the recipe have you broil the shrimp, these are pan-fried.  They look and taste almost the same, so why bother with the oven?

Like anything with shrimp in it, this cooks quickly.  If you're having it over pasta, wait until the pasta is half done before heating the skillet.  Everything should finish around the same time.

The nice thing about scampi is that you probably have all the ingredients for the sauce lying around.  Just pick up some raw shrimp, and you're 15 minutes away from dinner.

1 to 1-1/2 lb jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined (butterflied optional)
kosher salt and pepper
1/4 C butter
2 tsp parsley flakes (or 1 Tb chopped fresh flat-leafed parsley)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tb fresh lemon juice, plus 1/4 tsp lemon zest
1/4 C dry white wine or vermouth

1.  Place prepared shrimp on a pie plate and pat dry with a paper towel.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

2.  Heat large skillet over medium.  Melt butter, raise heat to high, and add shrimp all at once in a single layer.  (Food Network recommends inverting the pie plate to let them drop into the skillet.  I had marginal luck with that.)

3.  Cook shrimp without stirring for 1 minute.  Add garlic and cook another minute.  Turn shrimp over and cook for 2 minutes on other side.  Remove shrimp to a clean plate while you make the sauce.

4.  Add wine and lemon juice to pan.  Allow to boil until slightly thickened, about 30 seconds.  Use a wooden spoon to scrape any clinging bits from the bottom of the pan.  Add lemon zest and parsley.  Arrange shrimp on serving plates (or on top of pasta) and drizzle with sauce.

Difficulty rating  π