Shramps

So, one of my favorite quick dishes utilizes frozen shrimp. Is that gross? I don't think so, but I know of at least one friend that is disgusted by frozen shrimp. I think that if they are prepared properly and you are not serving them as Shrimp Cocktail, then who cares? The freezer can be your pantry too.



You know that dish that is ubiquitous in Spanish restaurants? Garlic Shrimp? Or Sauteed Shrimp With Garlic or whatever they call it? I have figured out how to make it at home! Yeah, yeah...it's no great feat. Big deal, you say. HOWEVER, I have discovered that the key to replicating this great restaurant dish is...SALT. Not the perfect shrimp or 84 cloves of garlic. Salt. I think that most home cooks under-salt their dishes when they could really step it up a bit without alerting the American Heart Association. I'm not suggesting that you encrust your shrimp with salt. I'm just saying that sprinkling a little on top is probably not enough.



Following is my very unscientific recipe for:


Garlic Shrimp For One


Salt and freshly ground pepper

10 medium frozen shrimp, thawed, peeled and deveined (about 1/3 pound)*

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 large cloves of garlic, thinly sliced

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Crusty Bread (optional - actually, required)


1. Once the shrimp is thawed, pat dry with paper towels, and generously season both sides with salt and pepper.

2. Heat the oil in a medium skillet. Once hot, add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for about 1 minute. Gently add the shrimp and cook without moving for 2 minutes. Turn each shrimp over and cook until done, about 2 minutes more. Turn off the heat, add the lemon juice and stir. Serve immediately with crusty bread to soak up the extra sauce.

*I use the frozen 1 pound bags of raw 31-40 shrimp/lb that are already peeled and deveined.