15 minute brown butter shrimp scampi
A little lemony and a little winey for when life throws you lemons and you need to whine.
This little pain in my ass dish was rotten to photograph. The easiest recipes are sometimes the biggest knives in my creative tookus. I think some of the issue hearkens to overthinking, which I’m REAL good at, but some of it boils down to an attempt at balancing simplicity and spiffing-up.
So, this recipe haunted me for a week, until I finally landed on a final iteration that I was fully happy with, from execution to post-cooking. Pretty glad my stubborn ass didn’t give up, because I’m happy to share this with you.
This is another Shit-Mood Food mainstay, when you need to cook but can’t waste energy on anything except trying to calm your own ass down. It’s buttery comfort food, pantry-staple goodness, only a tiny bit of mincing (which you can cheat with if you buy pre-minced garlic) and a big payoff.
Truly, when I finished off this recipe I was in an awful, anxious, I’m-going-to-spring-through-the-roof-and-ruin-the-newly-placed-tiling mood. The day was bright and pretty, but when I’m compromised the sun feels oppressive rather than invigorating. The clouds rolled in later and I was finally able to sit down with a cozy hot chocolate and a couple biscuits – that brought me off the ledge a bit.
Case in point – often you need cozy, and something small to regain a sense of self. Perhaps this dish can serve that purpose for you. Brown Butter Shrimp Scampi is also rad for entertaining, as its elegant and can trick a lesser man into thinking it was prepped with a ton of effort and time. Sike. It took 15 minutes.
Scamp Stamp On Your Soul
As a rule, scampi sauce is a simple blend of garlic, butter, and white wine. Some variations, like this one, also contain lemon, in varying amounts.
First off, instead of poaching the shrimp in the sauce as the method of cooking, I do a quick saute in butter and olive oil to give the rather ugly seafood mainstay a bit of color. Seriously, let’s face it: shrimp is ugly, and often looks raw unless you give it some type of seasoned outfit to wear.
Make sure the shrimp is nice and dry, then season both sides with salt and pepper. Melt a little of the allotted butter with a touch of olive oil in your big skillet until the butter browns, then sear the shrimp on both sides. You should get a nice golden hue on the surface of your shrimpies.
All Buttered Up
The rest of the dish comes together real quick, so get your ass ready to rumbllllllllllllle. Or rumba? I dunno.
Brown the remaining butter, then stir in a little garlic and thyme. Pour in a good helping of white wine and raise to a simmer for a couple minutes to let the wine reduce a touch.
Lower the heat, stir in lemon juice, and toss the shrimp back into the pan to warm through and to let it grab some of the sauce. Finish with sprinkles of fresh parsley.
BAM. Dinner’s done.
I often use whatever grain I have on hand to soak up that sauce, or some toasty bread – actually, toasty bread more often than not. Polenta is real good, too, or if you’re feeling fanciet but still simple, the parmesan rice from my Blackened Salmon Scampi. Some steamed broccoli on the side and a little tossed salad (maybe my Basic-Ass House Salad?) finish up the plate.
And don’t forget the best part of the dish: a dessert of Be Kind To Yourself, even if you don’t feel like you deserve it.
Tried this recipe out? Leave a rating and comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
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15 minute brown butter shrimp scampi
Ingredients
- 1 lb large or colossal shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 6 tbsp butter
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Pat the shrimp very dry. Season both sides with salt and pepper.
- Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter with 1 tablespoon olive oil until the butter browns slightly. Add the shrimp (do not overcrowd the pan) and cook for 2 minutes per side, until golden. Remove to a plate.
- Add the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter. Melt until browned, about 2 minutes longer. Stir in the garlic and thyme for 1 minute, then pour in the wine and bring to a simmer until slightly reduced, about 2-3 minutes longer. Stir in the lemon juice.
- Throw the shrimp back into the skillet, as well as the parsley. Toss to warm through.
- Serve with pasta, polenta, or potatoes, as desired.
