Garlic Butter Shrimp

The simplest way to cook shrimp and still the best. Butter, garlic, lemon, and about eight minutes.

Ingredients

• 1 lb wild caught Gulf of America shrimp (16–20 count per pound, raw & deveined)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• Lemon wedges, for serving

Preparation

1. Dry the shrimp. Pat them dry with paper towels.
2. Heat the pan. Olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high.
3. Cook. Shrimp in a single layer, 2–3 minutes per side, until pink and opaque.
4. Butter. Reduce to medium. Add butter, garlic and red pepper flakes. Sauté 1 minute, until the garlic is fragrant and the butter's melted.
5. Finish. Off the heat, stir in lemon juice and parsley.
6. Serve immediately with lemon wedges.

Serving

Serves 2–3. Bread is not optional — there's four tablespoons of garlic butter in that pan.

Pro tips

• Reduce the heat before the butter goes in. It burns faster than oil.
• One minute on the garlic. It goes from fragrant to bitter quickly.
• Spoon the pan butter over the shrimp before they leave the pan.