Shrimp are plentiful in the Bayou State during the spring months of March and April. In fact, according to the Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing board, nearly half of all U.S. Gulf shrimp are caught in Louisiana. That’s a lot of shellfish! And while there are seemingly endless opportunities to use shrimp in anything from dips to tacos to po’ boys, sometimes you need a no-fail entrée like Shrimp Scampi that wows with little effort.
Chef Peter Sclafani gave us this recipe for Shrimp Scampi, and we’re sure you’re going to love it. The smell of garlic, seasonings, and jumbo shrimp simmering in a buttery white wine sauce is one of the most heavenly we know. Dive in with fresh baked French bread or serve this Shrimp Scampi over al dente pasta, and you’ve got a meal worthy of the gods.
- 2 cups unsalted butter, softened
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 3 tablespoons minced shallot
- ½ cup chopped fresh parsley
- 2 teaspoons anise liqueur (see note)
- 2 teaspoons sea salt, divided
- 1 teaspoon ground white pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 16 large fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined (tails left on)
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ cup dry white wine
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- French bread (for serving)
- In the work bowl of a food processor, combine butter, garlic, shallot, parsley, liqueur, 1½ teaspoons salt, and white pepper; process until smooth.
- On a sheet of plastic wrap with the long edge facing you, add butter mixture. Fold edge of the plastic wrap over butter, and roll into a 2-inch cylinder. Twist the ends closed. Refrigerate or freeze until firm enough to slice.*
- In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Season shrimp with black pepper and remaining ½ teaspoon salt. Add shrimp to pan; cook until shrimp begin to turn pink. Add wine and lemon juice, scraping browned bits from bottom of skillet with a wooden spoon. Add 4 tablespoons cold diced parsley butter to pan. Reduce heat to medium-low; shake pan until mixture is smooth. Serve with French bread, if desired.
- We used Herbsaint. Butter will keep frozen up to 1 month.
Thank you so very much for the Shrimp Scampi Recipe. It was DELISH !
I have made this recipe at least a dozen times! We serve it with Angel hair pasta and a Caesar Salad Always a hit
*My husband sprinkles red pepper flakes on his