Here is one of the most popular ways for cooking shrimp in Italy and throughout the Mediterranean. In American-Italian cuisine, this recipe would be referred to as "Shrimp Scampi," a curious title since scampi means shrimp, which means the name, literally translated, is "Shrimp Shrimp." Good Italian or French bread should always be served with this dish for sopping up the good garlicky sauce.
Recipe information
Yield
Makes 4 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Remove the dark intestinal veins from the shrimp. As you do, make each cut deep enough to butterfly the shrimp, so each can be opened flat like a book. Fill a bowl with ice water, add the sea salt and the butterflied shrimp, and let stand for 15 minutes to bring out some of the briny flavor of the shellfish. (Removing their shells robs the shrimp of some of their natural flavor.) Drain and dry thoroughly with a cotton kitchen towel.
Step 2
In a large skillet over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the garlic and hot pepper and sauté gently until the garlic softens but is not browned, about 2 minutes. Add the shrimp, placing them opened flat on the bottom of the pan so they do not curl too much. Sauté, turning once, until they are opaque, about 2 minutes on each side. Add the wine, stir and cook for an additional 30 seconds to allow alcohol to evaporate. Remove and discard the whole peppers, if using. Sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately.
