Garlic Butter Shrimp with Parsley

Restaurant scampi, done at home. Building a parsley-garlic butter first means the herb is in every drop of sauce rather than dusted over the top at the pass.

Why the parsley matters here. Parsley's flavor is fat-soluble. Worked into soft butter it disperses through the whole pan; thrown on at the end it just sits there looking green.

Home kitchen · 4 to 6 servings

• 1½ cups Flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• 2 lb Large shrimp, shell on or peeled
• 8 oz Unsalted butter, softened
• 10 cloves Garlic, minced
• 2 Lemons, juice and zest
• 1/2 cup Dry white wine
• 1 pinch Red pepper flakes
• as needed Grilled sourdough, to serve

Herb quantities are given in loose cups, not weight — a cup should look like too much before you chop it.

Method

1. 1 Mash the softened butter with two-thirds of the parsley, the garlic, lemon zest, chili and salt.
2. 2 Get a wide skillet hot. Sear the dried shrimp in a little oil, 60 to 90 seconds a side, and remove them just under.
3. 3 Lower the heat, deglaze with the wine, and let it reduce by half.
4. 4 Whisk in the parsley butter off the heat until the sauce emulsifies, then return the shrimp to warm through.
5. 5 Finish with lemon juice and the reserved parsley. Serve in the pan with grilled bread.