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Cast-Iron Shrimp Recipe

Feb 2016

Sinkology is proud to present Emily Schuermann, our food-loving guest blogger who runs Food for a Year. Emily is here to share some recipes she has created exclusively for the Sinkology blog that reflect her view of a copper sink: simple, timeless, affordable and beautifully rustic.


 

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I recently traveled to Sonoma County as a “tag along” to my husband’s business trip — hey, now that I think about it, it was a work trip for me too! I had a list of to-do’s ((more like “to-eat’s”)) stretching from downtown San Francisco, through Sausilto, all the way up to Yountville, some zig zags between Petaluma & Napa and then all the way back through Berkeley to Chinatown. It was a tough job – well, tough isn’t exactly the right word … more like a pants-tighteningly tasty job! ((The hard part is getting rid of those last few “souvenirs” if you know what I mean, ho hum.))

With all the delicious food I enjoyed, it is hard to pick a favorite – but a little restaurant in Petaluma definitely got my attention when I tasted a simple “shrimp for two” appetizer. The shrimp was swimming in a white wine, garlic butter sauce, cooked to perfection, topped with melted sharp cheese and crisp herbed bread crumbs. I had to restrain myself from licking the plate, it was so good!

Although I didn’t come home with the recipe, I did return with the inspiration to recreate this flavor-packed, fancy “Wine Country” treat in my very own Okie kitchen. I have to say, trying to pull-off “trained chef-like” cooking without a recipe is a little scary. But because I won’t be heading back to Wine Country anytime soon, I decided to see if I could crack the code.

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Since I am sharing the recipe, you must have figured out that my recipe experimentations were a success. Yes, besides the fact that the first bite flashed me right back to the West Coast ((which was my goal!!)), this shrimp was actually super easy to make. I went from chopping, to cooking, to broiling, to eating in under 12 minutes. Delicious & easy = the perfect recipe for Sinkology!

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Start off by melting your butter in a small cast-iron skillet ((of course any heavy, oven-proof skillet will work nicely)) with the shallots & garlic. Give the butter a chance to turn golden before adding the Pinot Grigio. Once the liquid has reduced by half, it’s time to add the shrimp.

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Adding the shrimp brings us to what may seem like the trickiest part of this recipe – but no need to panic! The shrimp will let you know when it’s cooked to perfection by changing from gray to pink & losing it’s almost translucent appearance. Fat this point in the recipe, we want to leave the shrimp a touch underdone. So, once the skillet-side of the shrimp turns pink, flip them over and turn off the flame. The shrimp will finish cooking while under the broiler.

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Sprinkle the shredded cheese over the shrimp, top with the seasoned bread crumb mixture & a pat of butter.

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Broil on high until the cheese melts and the bread crumbs turn medium golden brown & crisp. Isn’t that easy?! And, really, even if you overcook the shrimp on your first try, they aren’t inedible — just a bit chewy. Just don’t undercook them! Once you cook shrimp a few times you will become an expert, perfectly trained to spot the exact moment the shrimp are done.

My favorite part about this dish is how the bread crumbs & melted cheese combine with the garlic-butter, white wine sauce. It’s so very rich, slightly thickened, a little salty and packed with deep flavors of garlic & white wine. This shrimp would cost big bucks at a fancy restaurant ((trust me — I know!)). Instead, you can make this “souvenir recipe” in the comfort of your own kitchen & spend less than $10. Simple, rustic, affordable & amazingly delicious — this recipe is certain to become a fast favorite!

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Cast-Iron Shrimp
Serves 2
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Prep Time
5 min
Cook Time
10 min
Prep Time
5 min
Cook Time
10 min
Ingredients
  1. 8-10, 16/20 size shrimp, peeled & deveined
  2. 3 T diced shallots
  3. 2 T diced fresh garlic
  4. 8-10 oz white wine ((I used Pinot Grigio))
  5. 3 T salted butter, plus another pat for broiling
  6. 3 T finely chopped flat leaf parsley
  7. ½ c panko
  8. ½ t steakhouse style seasoning blend
  9. ½ c shredded sharp white cheddar
  10. a pinch of kosher salt & finely ground black pepper
Instructions
  1. In a small mixing bowl, combine parsley, panko & seasoning blend. Adjust the oven rack to the upper-middle position and preheat to the broil setting. In a small (6") cast iron skillet, melt butter & sauté garlic and shallots, over medium-high flame, until butter melts and turns light golden brown. Stir to keep garlic from burning. Add white wine and bring to a simmer, continuing to simmer until the liquid has reduced by half. Add shrimp to the skillet, keeping the shrimp in a single layer, and season with s & p. Sauté shrimp ((without flipping)) 2-3 minutes until the underside is pink and cooked through. Flip the shrimp over, remove from the heat & top with shredded cheddar and bread crumb/herb blend. Place a pat of butter on top and broil until bread crumbs turn medium golden brown & the cheese bubbles, approximately 2 minutes. While broiling, keep very close watch on the shrimp - it will burn in a flash.
  2. Serves 2
Adapted from Food for a Year
Adapted from Food for a Year
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