Pan-Seared Shrimp with Lemon Butter | Oriental Chefs Recipe

JD

October 04, 2019

0

tasty-food-recipe, tasty-seafood-recipe

Pan searing is one of the quickest, easiest ways to get moist, tender shrimp with browned exteriors. But a good recipe for pan-seared shrimp is hard to find. The majority result in either dry and flavorless or pale,
tough, and gummy shrimp. We started by seasoning the shrimp with salt, pepper, and sugar, which brought out their natural sweetness and aided in browning. We cooked the shrimp in batches in a large, piping hot
skillet and then tossed them with butter, lemon juice, and fresh parsley. We also like pairing these shrimp with a glaze-like sauce with plenty of acidity as a foil for their richness; see the variations. The cooking time is for extra-large shrimp. If using smaller or larger shrimp, be sure to adjust the cooking time as needed. For more information on how to prepare shrimp, see “Peel-It-Yourself Shrimp read below.”

Serves: 4
Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

2 pounds extra-large shrimp (21 to 25 per pound)
⅛ teaspoon sugar
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon lemon juice, plus lemon wedges for serving
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley

Cooking Procedure

1. Peel and devein shrimp. Pat dry with paper towels and season with sugar, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until just smoking. Add half of shrimp to skillet in single layer and cook, without stirring, until spotty brown and edges turn pink, about 1 minute.
2. Remove skillet from heat, flip shrimp, and let sit until opaque in very center, about 30 seconds; transfer to bowl. Repeat with remaining 1 tablespoon oil and shrimp.
3. Off heat, return first batch of shrimp and any accumulated juices to skillet. Add butter, lemon juice, and parsley and toss to coat until butter melts. Cover and let sit until shrimp are cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes.
4. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with lemon wedges.

Cook with a twist | Pan-Seared Shrimp with Chipotle-Lime Glaze

Substitute following mixture for butter, lemon juice, and parsley in step 3: 2 tablespoons lime juice, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, 4 teaspoons packed brown sugar, 1 teaspoon minced canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce, and 2 teaspoons adobo sauce.

Cook with a twist | Pan-Seared Shrimp with Ginger-Hoisin Glaze

Omit pepper. Add ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes with salt and sugar in step 1. Substitute following mixture for butter, lemon juice, and parsley in step 3: 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, 2 teaspoons water, 1½ teaspoons soy sauce, 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger, and 2 thinly sliced scallions.

Chef's Tips and Tricks | PEEL-IT-YOURSELF SHRIMP

Many cooks buy peeled shrimp, and they are making a big mistake before they even get in the kitchen. The machines that peel shrimp rough up these delicate crustaceans and the end results are miserable. A far better option in terms of convenience is to keep frozen shell-on shrimp in your freezer. Frozen shrimp are actually better than “fresh,” which are almost always thawed previously frozen shrimp that are past their prime. Simply thaw frozen shrimp in a colander under cool running water for about 10 minutes, depending on their size. Thoroughly dry them before proceeding. Break the shrimp’s shell on the underside, under the swimming legs; it will peel off easily. Leave the tail end intact if desired, or tug it to remove the shell. Use a paring knife to make a shallow cut along the back of the shrimp to expose the vein. (The vein doesn’t affect flavor, but removing it improves the appearance of cooked shrimp.) Use the tip of a knife to lift the vein out. Discard it by wiping the knife against a paper towel.