Garlic and shrimp are such a dynamic duo that they’ve been given their own nomenclature, Scampi. Add the sweetness of tomatoes and corn and you triple the shrimp’s goodness. Of course all sweetness does not a great dish make. It needs a little heat to balance it out. Choose your fave—cayenne, hot pepper flakes, sriracha, just taste until you get that slight burn in the back of your throat.
Although butter is the ingredient of choice to enrich and emulsify the sauce, if you are dairy free or watching cholesterol, dairy free unsalted vegetable sticks make a good alternative.
Cooked in one skillet, this dish makes an ideal summertime meal. It can be made in under 30 minutes including prep time. The actual time you need to heat up the kitchen by standing behind the stove is more like 15.
You might add some pasta or crispy bread to round out the meal, but we think it is fine as a completel meal. Summer cooking doesn’t get much more colorful, tasty or easy than this.
SUMMER SHRIMP SCAMPI WITH TOMATOES AND CORN
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined (about 26 to 30 count)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 pint grape or smallest cherry tomatoes (about 2 cups), at room temperature
2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels
5 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup dry white wine or imported dry vermouth or vegetable broth
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, plus extra for serving
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, crushed red pepper flakes or Tabasco
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter or unsalted vegetable buttery sticks (such as Earth Balance), cut into 5 pieces
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil or Italian parsley
1. Pat the shrimp very dry and season with salt and pepper. In a large (12-inch) skillet, heat the olive oil
over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and cook until pink and lightly golden in spots, 2 minutes per side. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the shrimp to a plate.
2. Add the tomatoes to the skillet, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring just once, until they start to blister in spots, 3 to 5 minutes.
3. Add the corn and cook, stirring just once or twice, until the tomatoes burst and the corn is golden in spots, 3 to 4 minutes.
4. Add the garlic and cayenne or pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until you smell the garlic, about 1 minute.
5. Reduce heat to medium and add the wine and lemon juice, scraping any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook until nearly evaporated, about 1 minute and stir until melted.
6. Add shrimp and its juices and stir until warmed through. (If the sauce breaks and looks greasy, add 1 or 2 teaspoons of water and stir until emulsified.) Stir in butter.
7. Remove from heat, add basil or parsley, season to taste with salt and pepper and serve with extra lemon for squeezing over, if you like.
Makes 4 servings.
Adapted from New York Times Cooking
