The classic combination of shrimp, garlic and butter - two ways. Thanks to Honey for sponsoring this video! Get Honey for FREE and start saving money today ▸ joinhoney.com/ragusea Honey has already found its members over $2 BILLION in savings on stores like Target & J. Crew.
**DAD'S RECIPE WITH RICE, SERVES TWO**
1 cup (175 g) dry white rice (I like jasmine)
1/2 lb (225 g) shrimp
1/2 head of garlic
celery leaves
butter
salt
pepper
lemon (optional)
Melt about half a tablespoon of butter in a saucepan on medium heat, put in the dry rice, and stir it around constantly for a minute or two. Stir in 1.5 cups (350 ml) water and a big pinch of salt, reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook until all the water is absorbed - about 15 minutes. When it's done, just hold it on your lowest heat until you're ready to eat.
Make sure your shrimp are thawed, peeled and deveined, and blot them dry with a paper towel. Peel and chop the garlic, and chop up a roughly equivalent pile of celery leaves.
Melt a tablespoon (14 g) of butter in a sauté pan on medium heat and make sure the bottom of the pan is coated in butter. Put in the shrimp, taking care to keep them all in one layer, flat against the pan. When visibly cooked on the first side, flip them and cook the second side. Shrimp take 2-5 minutes to cook, depending on size. When they are fully opaque, remove them to a plate.
Melt 2-4 tablespoons (30-60 g) of additional butter into the pan, then fry the garlic until it's just starting to go golden. Return the shrimp to the pan, along with the celery leaves, and stir to combine everything. Season with salt and pepper to taste, though if you're using salted butter, you probably won't need additional salt.
Spoon the shrimp and any loose garlic butter in the pan over the rice, and squeeze some lemon over top if you want.
**MY RECIPE WITH PASTA, SERVES TWO**
1/2 lb (225 g) of dried pasta (I like linguine)
1/2 lb (225 g) of shrimp
1/2 (120 ml) cup of white wine
1/2 head of garlic
celery leaves
xanthan gum (optional but recommended)
lemon
crushed red pepper flakes
parmesan or pecorino cheese
butter
olive oil
salt
pepper
Get a pot of salted water boiling for the pasta. Make sure your shrimp are thawed, peeled and deveined, and blot them dry with a paper towel. Peel and chop the garlic, and chop up a roughly equivalent pile of celery leaves.
Heat a large pan on medium-high, and coat the bottom with olive oil. When hot, drop in the shrimp, taking care to keep them all in one layer, flat against the pan.
Now is usually a good time to start the pasta cooking, or you could wait until after the shrimp are done. Shrimp take 2-5 minutes to cook, depending on size, and you want to cook them most of the way on the first side so that it can brown. When the shrimp seem mostly opaque, scrape them off the pan with a wooden spoon, and stir them around until they're fully opaque.
Remove the shrimp to a plate and quickly put in the garlic. You might need to turn down the heat if it looks like things are going to burn. Fry the garlic until it's just starting to turn golden, then deglaze with the white wine, scraping the pan to dissolve the fond. Squeeze in some lemon juice - anywhere from a few drops to half a lemon, depending on how much you like lemon.
Reduce the liquid until almost dry, then remove from the heat. When the bubbling has mostly ceased, melt in 4 tablespoons (60 g) of cold butter, mixing constantly to form an emulsion with the reduced wine. To ensure the sauce won't break when the hot pasta hits it, stir in a pinch of xanthan gum.
When the pasta is cooked, mostly drain it, but try to keep about 1/4 cup (60 ml) of the cooking water. Put the pasta and the water into the pan with the sauce, and stir to combine everything. Stir in the shrimp and the celery leaves, and chili flakes, pepper and salt to taste - though if you used salted butter, you probably won't need any additional salt. Serve and top with grated cheese.