Sensational Shrimp Scampi



Finished shrimp scampi

Easiest seafood dish. Ever. Seriously. And yet, this is fun to make and looks impressive if you throw in a few little tricks for pizazz...

I had been craving seafood for a couple of weeks and finally got around to deciding what to make. Prior to making this, I had never deveined or shelled a shrimp. Once I figured out how to do that, the rest was a piece of cake. I looked around for different recipes and combined some of the things I liked from each; then I did what I usually do -- wing it. The result was pretty kick-ass!  Here's how I did it:

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pound jumbo shrimp, shelled and deveined
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 Tbs unsalted butter
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• 1/4C dry white vermouth
• 1/4C dry white wine
• 1/2 tsp Oregano, crushed
• 1 shallot, brunoised
• 3 Tbs Brandy
• 1 Tbs freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 tsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
• 1/4 tsp grated lemon zest

Method

Step 5 - Flambe! Do ya feel lucky?!

1. Melt butter in a large saute pan over medium heat. Once the foaming has abated, increase heat to high and add shrimp all at once, making sure each one is in full contact with the base of the pan. Season with salt and pepper (more than you would normally use)
2. Sear for about a minute, then add the garlic, beginning to stir everything together with tongs. Cook about another minute, then start flipping the shrimp.
3. Add the vermouth and white wine, slowly. Keep the heat high and allow it to reduce for around a minute. 
4. Squeeze in lemon juice, oregano, and fine diced shallot,  then add the zest. Stir, then flip the shrimp, making sure the liquid has a chance to coat all surfaces of the shrimp. Allow to cook another minute or so.
5. (Now here's the tricky/ flashy part)   Add the brandy. As you begin to smell it boiling up and see thin, gray vapors rising from the pan, light a match and wave it quickly through the vapors, thus igniting it (flambe!!) 
6. Lightly shake the pan contents about without spilling. Continue to do this until the flames die down. 
7. Add the flat leaf parsley, then take your pan and put it under a hot broiler for 1.5-2 minutes to finish. 
8. Season again (lightly) with salt and pepper
9. Serve.

Trust me, the flambe part of this dish is pretty awesome! I don't know why, but it's just impressive looking and people tend to really like it. The brandy is a subtle flavor, if done properly, but it helps to scale back the sharpness of the lemon and vermouth into a much deeper, richer sauce. Just don't burn yourself or reduce your house to ashes trying to flambe if you're not confident you can pull it off -- just let the alcohol cook off the traditional way, if you'd rather; it only takes an extra minute or two.

I promise, making this recipe at home tastes better than the mass-produced, butter-laden dish of greasy decapod crustaceans served as "shrimp scampi" at most chain restaurants. Not to pat myself on the back or anything...