I LOVE to eat Shrimp Scampi, but I have never made it or eaten it at home., at least not as an adult. I do remember as a kid how we would go down to Galveston and buy them directly from the fisherman at the end of the day. Now that’s fresh fish. It’s hard to buy what markets call “fresh” fish after you’ve done that.
So I decided to do some research for a good recipe and see what the term scampi actually meant. I have to admit I was completely blindsided by the fact that scampi is a term that actually pertains to lobster, Norwegian lobster in particular.
“Scampi is a culinary name for some species of lobster, notably the ‘true’ scampi Nephrops norvegicus,…” In both the United Kingdom and the USA, the word has come to define the method of preparation rather than the ingredient, although referring to quite different methods in the two countries. This being said, I think I’ll make some chicken scampi tomorrow night.
1 1/2 pounds large shrimp
1/3 cup clarified butter
4 cloves garlic, minced
6 green onions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup dry white wine
Juice of 1 lemon
Fresh parsley for garnish
salt and pepper, to taste
- Clean and rinse shrimp, dry well and set aside.
- Heat butter in large skillet over medium heat.
- Cook garlic 1 or 2 minutes or until softened but not browned.
- Add shrimp, green onions, wine and lemon juice; cook until shrimp are pink and firm, about 1 to 2 minutes on each side.
- Do not overcook.
- Add chopped parsley and salt and pepper before serving.
- Garnish with lemon slices and parsley sprigs if desired.
