If you’re looking for an easy shrimp appetizer recipe, this is the one. Shrimp are gently baked in a garlic butter and herb mixture followed by a quick broil to crisp up the cheesy crumby topping. It’s simply, or Shrimply, Delicious!
We head south to avoid most of the winter and have recently made some new friends. It sort of feels like we won the neighbour lottery. This lovely couple are Italian Americans and they love to cook and share samples. When they asked if I’d like to have a look at her mother’s personal recipe collection, I jumped for joy. Flipping through a series of handwritten recipes from the early 1970s, I didn’t know what to try first. Until they brought over a sample of Shrimply Delicious.
You don’t have to live on the coast to get fresh shrimp. I mean, if you have access to it, by all means use the best local shrimp you can find. But since I live in the great white north most of the time, I don’t have access to fresh shrimp. But there are excellent choices that are good quality and sustainably sourced at most grocery stores.
If you’re making Shrimply Delicious with frozen shrimp, I suggest choosing a fairly large size and definitely buy raw shrimp with shells on. Shrimp always look larger before they’re peeled and cooked so it’s easy to get fooled. The smaller the number on the package, the larger the shrimp. So 21-30 means there are between 21 and 30 shrimp per pound. 16-20 means between 16 and 20 per pound. Get it? Most packages also use the terms large, jumbo and colossal. I recommend not using anything smaller than large size.
Why do I suggest buying shrimp with shells if you’re going to remove them anyway? Well, the shells protect the delicate shrimp from freezer burn. Shells also help flavour shrimp if you cook them without peeling but in this case you’re going to want to dig in right away and all that garlic and butter will be messy if you’re forced to eat with your hands. Make sure you have some little forks and napkins. And maybe some crackers or Baguettes.
If you like the idea of garlic and shrimp you might also like Shrimp Scampi with Linguine or Shrimp and Asparagus Risotto. And yes, I will be sharing more of our new friends’ recipes. And probably buying some larger pants.
If you make Shrimply Delicious, consider leaving a comment or rating below. Here’s the recipe:
Ingredients
- 1 lb large shrimp 450 grams, 4-6 large shrimp per person
- ½ cup salted butter 125 ml
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice 30 grams
- 2 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped 30 grams
- 1 Tbsp dried oregano 15 grams
- 1 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese 15 grams
- ½ cup dry breadcrumbs 125 ml
Instructions
- Melt butter in a wide dish or pie plate in the microwave on low heat to prevent splatter. Stir in minced garlic.
- Peel shrimp and remove tails and veins. Rinse and pat dry. Arrange without overlapping in dish. Squeeze lemon juice over top.
- Mix together breadcrumbs, parsley, parmesan and oregano. Sprinkle evenly over top.
- Bake in centre of oven at 350° for 15 minutes. Change setting to broil for 3 more minutes until breadcrumb mixture browns sightly.
Another enticing one! I was thinking, good for Super Bowl, which is a big day in our house.
Oh yes, that would be great for Super Bowl!