Friday, June 15, 2012

A Tale of Two Shrimp

I have always been frustrated by the relative bland flavor of shrimp cocktail.  Even more bothersome is that there is that the tail has always been left on for presentation or as a so called means of holding onto the shrimp.  Where is the shrimp going anyway?  Is it going to jettison away from one's grip while you are distracted with your martini?  Then I'm left holding a shrimp tail that has to be disposed of.  When I make shrimp cocktail, I remove the tail.  No one has ever complained.  And if you want to be crazy like a sushi chef, you can actually shell the shrimp gently until you get to the tail then, ever so gently, wiggle the tail shells away and you will be left with the inner tail which can be eaten.  Now that's presentation.

One of my favorite ways to eat shrimp is how it is served at local Japanese restaurant. There they serve the main body of the shrimp raw on sushi rice.  It is accompanied by the disembodied head which has been every so lightly encrusted with Panko, fried, and is served with a sweet, vinegar dipping sauce.  Yummy.  But, that is far too involved for today's conversation.  (And yes, I said 'disembodied' on purpose even though I realize its redundant to the context.)

Another way I love to eat shrimp is in a scampi.  Basically, this is just shrimp that has been broiled in a large amount of butter, garlic, lemon juice, and perhaps a few cherry tomatoes.  Generally it is served over some angel hair and garnished with parsley.  A delicious summer meal.  But why must shrimp cocktail and shrimp scampi be divorced so?  I have decided no more, my friends.  Please enjoy my recipe for Scampi Cocktail, and enjoy two great shrimp dishes in one appetizer! They key to this dish is that the shrimp are served warm!

Scampi Cocktail


  • U14 prawns or larger
  • butter
  • olive oil
  • freshly chopped garlic
  • lemon juice and wedges for garnish
  • ketchup
  • chili sauce
  • prepared horseradish
  • parsley for garnish
  • S&P
Shell and clean the shrimp fully.  Butterfly the top of the shrimp and removed the GI tract.  That's the dark line that people often trick themselves into believing is a blood vessel.  It's not.  

In a saute pan, gently saute butter, olive oil and chopped garlic until you can just smell the garlic.  Don't burn the garlic! Add the prawns, season with S&P, and saute for several minutes on one side, flip the prawns and saute for a couple more minutes, taking care that you're not burning the garlic.  Alternatively, you could also broil this dish as well.  If broiling, a little panko bread crumbs on top would be wonderful.  With either preparation, finish with a generous squeeze of lemon juice.  

Gently pour all the shrimp, butter, oil, and garlic into a serving dish or platter and garnish with chopped parsley and lemon wedges. Serve hot to room temperature with a cocktail sauce.

*To make the cocktail sauce simply mix equal parts of ketchup and chili sauce and season to taste with prepared horseradish.  Place another dollop of horseradish on the cocktail sauce for presentation and so that guests can increase the spiciness at will.  Enjoy!