Conference turris::cooks

    I use a quick recipe to Scampi and, to be honest with you, I don't
    know if it is the true recipe. It all depends in how much garlic
    you like. What I do for 2 people is mince probably 4 cloves of garlic
    and then saute it in butter, probably 3 or 4 tablespoons in a large
    skillet. Don't burn the garlic or the butter. Saute over a med-low
    flame. After about 5 minutes, add about a pound of shelled, deveined
    shrimp and turn the heat up to med-high. It should only take about
    3 to 5 moinutes to cook the shrimp, depending upon the size you
    use. We usually get extra-large. Colossal are usually too big and
    large are usually a little too small for our taste. Give the shrimp
    a stir at regular intervals, not constantly because you want the
    to cook. As soon as they appear pink(just about all over) add some 
    fresh chopped parsley,
    again amount is up to your preference. It adds color and a slight
    flavor, probably a 1/4 cup. Give it all a stir again and it's ready
    to serve. We like it with rice on the side versus a pasta. Add a
    green vegetable on the plate for color. 
    
    Once you get the hang of this method, you can whip up dinner in
    about 15 minutes, longer with the rice (I do not use Minute Rice).
    Again, this is the "scampi" version I use. Play with the amount
    of garlic and you'll eventually get our taste down.
   

    This is my favorite dish to make and I never make it the same. 
    I usually use Medium size shrimp (my own preference).  I use
    about 5-6 cloves of garlic and press it.  I use lots of butter
    and put the garlic in, and then the shrimp.  I cook it until
    it's pink, and then turn up the heat and add just about anything,
    white wine, scallions, and even breadcrumbs.  I usually serve
    this either over homemade pasta, or serve it as an appetizer.
    I'm sure this is not the authentic recipe, but I enjoy it this
    way, and so does my Son!
    
    Good luck.
    
    Patty

    1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
    1/4 c finely chopped onion
    3-4 garlic cloves, crushed
    4 parsley springs, chopped
    1 lb medium shrimp, shelled and deveined
    1/4 c dry white wine
    2 T lemon juice
    (salt)
    pepper
    
    Melt butter in medium skillet over low heat.
    Add onion, garlic, and parsley.
    Cook until golden, about 10 minutes.
    Add shrimp.
    Cook until just pink.
    Remove shrimp and put in ovenproof dish; cover and keep warm.
    Add wine and lemon juice to skillet and cook 2-3 minutes.
    Season to taste and pout over shrimp.
    
    4 servings

    I tried the recipe in .3 with a few modifications.  I increased
    the wine to 2/3 cup and poured the whole thing over a pound of
    linguine.  It was fantastic!

    The way I do shrimp scampi is really easy.
    
    Melt a half a stick of butter in a frying pan.  Add two finely minced
    cloves of garlic.  Add precooked shrimp and saute until the shrimp
    is hot.
    
    Lori B.

    
    re .0,1
    
    Sounds like .-1 has the right idea, but don't forget some chopped
    FRESH parsley.
    
    mike
    

    
     
    Should the shrimp be pre-cooked then added to the butter(.1),
    or should the raw shrimp be cooked in the butter mix?Or does it
    really matter?
    
                  Mike

    It's easier if you precook the shrimp.  I usually boil it.
    
    Lori B.

    RE: .4
    
    PARDON MY INGRATITUDE:  (you are after all responding to my request)
    
    but YIKES! YOU'LL LOSE ALL THE GOOD SHRIMP FLAVOR IN THE BOILING WATER
    
    
     
    
    Mary
    
    

    re: .5
    
    How else do you cook them?  I find that if I saute them in the butter,
    they're not fully cooked.  I've also steamed them, that seems to
    work o.k.
    
    Lori B.

    Pre-cook or not;the reason I asked is that a friend and I
    have an ongoing,er,discusion on which is the "proper"
    method.He says it doesnt matter,I say cook the shrimp
    in the butter mixture.I havent had any problem with 
    undercooking,just cover,turning the shrimp until done.The
    problem I have is overcooking.
     How much parsly do you use?Is it sprinkled over the
    finished dish or mixed into the butter?
    
                                           Mike

Whatta bout "pre-cooked" frozen shrimp?

How would that work?

Chuck_who_likes_to_do_things_the_american_way......EASY!

    Hi!  I do my in the oven.  I melt the butter and sometimes add a
    little oil to help the butter.  I do this right in the dish and
    in the oven. I remove the melted butter from the oven and
    add quite a bit of garlic 
    in small slices. About 6 or 7 cloves or even more.  I then add the 
    cleaned shrimp. The butter should come up to about 1/2 the shrimp. 
    I add parsley and even a couple good shakes of garlic powder.
    I bake it in the oven until the shrimp just turn pink and then place
    it in the broiler for a  few minutes to brown.
                                                
    Serve with lots of French/Italian bread for dipping.

    What could be wrong with cooking it (either on top of the stove
    or in the oven) with olive oil.  I thought olive oil was an important
    ingredient.  (Forgive me, I'm Italian) and adding some Italian bread
    crumbs at the very end in the oven to give it a baked feel.  
    
    Also, it is very hard to undercook shrimp.  Overcooking is the real
    problem since it can be too chewy and dry....
    
    Back home near Maryland, we used Bay Seafood Seasong and a can of
    beer to steam the shrimp in their shells.....Sameway with hard-shell
    crab.....!
    
    Mary
    

    Cook the cleaned shrimp as in -1 at 350 degress in oven (depending on
    the size of the shrimp) about 5 minutes on one side and then turn the
    shrimp over and cook just till that side turns pick, too.  Yum....no
    need to boil unless you are making shrimp cocktail.
    
    
    -Dotti_who_has_a_great_recipe_but_it's_at_home_!	
    

    okay folks....this is it.  There are lots of ways....TOO many ways.
    You want it cooked or do you want it done with flavor?????  Okay.
    Now that we have that set a side.
    
    Most cooks *saute* fresh garlic in butter & good olive oil (in
    case there are folks wondering....allolive oil is not alike.  Spanish
    oil is considered world wide the best.  The center that sets standards
    for olive oil is in Madrid.  We don't abide by the rules...in this
    country some olive oil is artificially flavored and then priced
    at over 5 bucks a bottle.  Cold pressed is the best and that's usually
    Spanish.  Sorry to the folks who thought it was Italian but your
    olives just don't cut it compared to Spain)  Anyway.... 
    
    Saute the shrimp lightly, then add some white sherry or a good white
    wine (Remember, never cook with a wine you wouldn't drink) and boil
    the liquid a bit.  This ONLY takes until the shrimp is opaque. 
    That's the key to this.  By the way, garlic powder doesn't cut it
    either.  Don't go out and buy *Italian bread crumbs* when all you
    have to do is use some French/Italian bread and put it in an oven
    on low temp and it drys it out.  Put the bread isn a sac (plastic)
    and roll a rolling pin over it or a glass.  Presto!!!  Fresh bread
    crumbs.  Sprinkle that over it with a couple of small butter pats...
    maybe freshly ground pepper ....some folks like fresh parsley in
    it but I prefer fresh basil.....or even Bay's.  I don't like powdered
    anything but that isn't bad at all.
    
    hope I don't sound too arrogant.....I went to school for this. 
    So did my dad.  Our goal????  Out od one another at all times!!!!
    
    
    
    G.

    I second .12...
    The best way is SAUTEE the shrimp in OLIVE OIL and plenty of MINCED
    GARLIC and PARSLEY, then add a good squeeze of lemon juice (or lime)
    The shrimp should be cooked till just pink, the problem with shrimp is
    that it gets overcooked too often...making it dry and tough.
    I also add a bit of hot red pepper...and that way IT TASTES LIKE
    HEAVEN! specially if you have some good bread for dunking in it...
    Hummm...

    I can't imagine precooking shrimp for any thing except to serve
    cold cooked shrimp as in shrimp salad or shrimp cocktail. Shrimp
    cooks in less than 5 minutes so there is almost no way it will be
    undercooked.
    
    I use a mixture of olive oil and butter with the crushed garlic
    and saute until pink, then serve with a sprinkle of fresh parsley.
    
    I agree with a previous noter, garlic powder should never touch
    shrimp, only the real thing. 

    re. 13     I forgot.......got to add some lemon to it!!!!!
    
    
    		
    		G.

    
    I'll have to agree with most of these notes. Saute the shrimp, do
    not precook in any way. Shrimp don't take very long to cook.
    
    mike
    

    One thing to be aware of:
    
    Make sure to drain and dry the (raw) shrimps VERY WELL, preferably with
    a towel (or even Bounty).  Otherwise you would end up with shrimp with
    butter-garlic favored broth.  (You can tell the someone have had this
    experience before, huh? 8) )
    
    Stella

    .9:
    
    HOW LONG DO YOU COOK THE SHRIMP IN THE OVEN?

    I started making scampi as a way to use leftover shrimp, so by default
    I always used precooked shrimp.  One time I decided to make it with raw
    shrimp, and it wasn't nearly as good.  The juices that cooked out of
    the shrimp diluted the garlic butter terribly, leaving me with a rather
    bland tasting sauce.  Now I *always* precook.  It has absolutely
    nothing to do with making sure the shrimp get done sufficiently.
    
    							Pat

    re: .19
    
    This is the reason why I said to precook the shrimp in the first
    place.
    
    Lori B.

    re:18
    
    Not sure of the exact time.  The shrimp will turn pink. It does
    not take very long. Since you will be placing them in the broiler
    to brown, remove as soon as they begin to color.  Just watch them
    closely.
    
    Good luck!
    
    Flo

    Anybody have any idea what the ratio is per person when making scampi?
    I'm going to be making it for a non-traditional Easter dinner for only
    6 adults.  How much shrimp should I use?  I'd like to serve it over
    homemade linguini, so I'll be making the version with the wine
    reduction.  I don't want to skimp, since there are so few people I can
    afford to splurge a bit.  But how much shrimp per person, considering
    the linguini, will I need?  Average eaters, by the way.
    And what else to serve?  Mixed greens salad or maybe marinated veggie
    salad will do it?  And I'll make bread for sopping up the sauce. Any
    other ideas?
    Sarah

    .26 Sarah
    
    your lucky guests!  I buy shrimp by saying how many shrimp I want for
    each person, plus one extra serving, and taking into consideration the
    size of the shrimp that are for sale on that day and the fact that the
    shrimp will shrink when cooked.  So for 6 people, I'd probably ask for
    around 50 shrimp if the shrimp are large (6 or 7 shrimp per person).  
    
    A green salad and bread will be quite enough, I think.  What about
    dessert?  Fresh fruit and perhaps cheese?  Or limone granite (Italian
    lemon ice served in scooped-out whole lemons garnished with fresh mint
    leaves, but this is labor-intensive and you've already got a lot to
    do).  Or how about 2342.32?
    
    	*Susan*
    

    I am a shrimp glutton when I have the chance, I would say it depends on
    the size for the count , but figure 3-4 oz of shrimp for each person,
    minimum.  
    
    I like the fruit idea for desert, a cheesecake came to mind, but with
    the amount of fat in the scampi (at least the way I like it) it would
    probably clog livers and arteries, just looking at it.
    
    meg

    I usually plan on around 1/4 lb. per person with shrimp at 25-30 count
    per lb., then a little extra if some heavy eaters.
    
    Regards,
    Jim

	I would plan on 6 oz. of shrimp per person.  The worst that could happen
is you'd have some left over!  We prefer 8 oz. of shrimp per person, but we've 
both got hearty appetites.

	Laura

    re .27 Susan,
    Actually, this dinner is not labor-intensive.  Fresh linguini cooks in
    about 2 minutes, scampi probably takes no more than 5-6 minutes.  I
    could do that lemon granita thing no sweat!  Now to find a recipe...
    I do have some real choco-holics (moi included!!!), so I thought about
    a tiramisu, just to keep everything along the same ethnic lines. 
    Cheescake is right out - I'd eat the whole thing myself!!!
    Hmm, the cheese and fruit sounds right, too.  Decisions, decisions.
    I know!  A mini-tiramisu, small fruit/cheese platter, lemon granitas,
    and a couple of mini-cheesecakes in case someone is really fussy!
    And I cat EAT ALL THE LEFTOVERS MYSELF WHEN THEY ALL LEAVE!!!!
    Ahem, sorry, just got a bit dessert-happy there : )
    Thanks for the ideas, and the recommendations about the amount of
    shrimp.  
    Sarah

 Shrimp are quite the oddity. The more you buy the more get eaten. If you
 planned on the average the other noters said 4-6 oz person that;s kool.
 However, if you planned on a pound a person that would dissapear as well.

 I recall at a recent event chomping down about 3lbs of Jumbo shrimp cocktail
 in about a 15 minute span. Shrimp just go...

 Heck its a holiday and as the other person said its a non-labor intensive
 dish. By  a bunch of the U12's (12 per pound) cook more than you would 
 even imagine the people could eat and you'll have no leftovers. That;s shrimp.

 -Dave

    	My wife usually buys a pound to feed us and our 3 young kids. There
    are never any left overs. For 6 adults, I'd go with 2 lbs.. Between the
    linguini, a salad, rolls of some kind, and a dessert, that should be
    plenty.
    	
    	You could also do steamer clams or mussels as an appetizer. My kids
    also like both. One lb. is usually enough for an appetizer for us. YMMV,
    depending on whether your guests like them or not.
    
    	Ray

Someone mentioned this not being labor intensive.  Does everyone buy their
shrimp shelled and de-veined?  Just wondering.

>Does everyone buy their
>shrimp shelled and de-veined?  

	no.  

re: .34

>Someone mentioned this not being labor intensive.  Does everyone buy their
>shrimp shelled and de-veined?  Just wondering.


I don't bother deveining most of the time.  Shelling the shrimp is a bit of
a pain, but it doesn't take that long and the shells make a great stock
to use in whatever I'm making with the shrimp.

-Hal

If you buy the jumbo shrimp it's not that much work.  I always devein, I sure
don't want to eat that!

Laura

    If you use a shrimp deveiner shrimp can be cleaned fairly quickily and
    easily.  Once you get used to using one you really realize just how
    convenient it is if you then ever have to clean shrimp without one. 	
    And most deveiners are fairly cheap, so there's really no excuse for
    not having one ;-}
    
    \steve
    
    

    I always devein.  Looks yucky to have a nice light butter/white wine 
    sauce, perfectly pink shrimp, and that nasty black thing in there.
    Personally I don't eat them, I'm a vegetarian.  However, I do care that
    my guests not get grit in their food.
    I agree the deveiners work very well - if you cut the tails off, the
    vein and shell slip right off.
    Sarah 

    	For me, it depends on the size of the shrimp. If it's Maine native
    (small) shrimp, I don't bother. Jumbos I'd definitely do.
    
    	Ray