Shrimp Scampi

Butter, garlic, white wine and lemon. Scampi is a five-minute cook once the pan is hot — have everything measured before you start, because there's no time to chop once it's going.

Ingredients

• 1 lb wild caught Gulf of America shrimp (16–20 count per pound, raw & deveined)
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Lemon wedges, for serving

Preparation

1. Dry the shrimp. Pat them dry with paper towels.
2. Melt the butter. 2 tbsp in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
3. Garlic. Add with the red pepper flakes and cook for 30 seconds.
4. Shrimp. Cook 2–3 minutes per side, until pink and opaque.
5. Wine. Add and simmer 2 minutes, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
6. Finish the sauce. Stir in lemon juice and the remaining 2 tbsp butter.
7. Off the heat. Stir in parsley, season with salt and pepper.
8. Serve immediately with lemon wedges.

Serving

Serves 2–3. Linguine or bread — something to catch the sauce.

Pro tips

• Butter goes in twice, and that's deliberate. The second half off the heat is what makes the sauce glossy instead of greasy.
• Use wine you'd actually drink. It's half a cup in a sauce with four ingredients — there's nowhere for it to hide.
• Scrape the pan when the wine goes in. The browned bits are the flavour.
• Everything measured before you start. Once the shrimp are in you've got about four minutes.