Shrimp Scampi

For Christmas all of us kids bought my parents tickets to Quidam. It is a Cirque Du Soliel show that is touring the country right now and it is FANTASTIC! Matt and I had the privilege of going to see it while it was in Pittsburgh and I knew my parents would love it too! Since they are going to the show tonight I thought I would relive the night Matt and I went.

The night we saw the show was very spontaneous. I got the tickets from work and surprised Matt when he got home. This happened to be the same time that we were training for our Halloween race (which we both did well in and are both very glad it's over). Needless to say I would have done anything to have a night off of running and free Cirque tickets sounded like the perfect excuse.

Since I was surprising Matt with tickets I decided to make a little date night out of it and surprise him with dinner also. Shrimp Scampi is a simple dish that is a sure "Matt Pleaser." Test it out at your next date night or dinner party. I promise people will go nuts over it! (as long as they like shrimp)

Shrimp Scampi

Ingredients

1 1/2 Pound Jumbo Shrimp, Shelled and Deveined

Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper

2 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter

2 Teaspoons Minced Garlic

1/4 Cup Dry White Wine

1 Tablespoon Freshly Squeeze Lemon Juice

2 Teaspoons Finely Chopped Flat-Leaf Parsley Leaves

1/4 Teaspoon Grated Lemon Zest

Directions

Put the shrimp on a large plate and pat them dry with a paper towel. Arrange the shrimp so the lay flat and are evenly spaced. Season with salt and pepper.

Heat a large pan over medium heat. Add the butter to the pan. When the foaming subsides, raise the heat to high, and invert the plate of shrimp over the pan so the shrimp fall into the pan all at once. Cook the shrimp without moving them for one minute. Add the garlic and cook for one more minute. Turn the shrimp over and cook for two more minutes. Transfer the shrimp to a bowl.

Return the skillet to the heat and pour in the wine and lemon juice. Boil the liquid until slightly thickened. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Add zest and parsley and stir. Take off heat, add shrimp back in, and toss everything together.

Serve alone or over pasta.

Enjoy! :)