Seared shrimp is our go-to weeknight meal when we want something a little extra special. And this recipe is the perfect combination of rich and delicious flavor yet quick and easy. Who needs fuss when you are trying to get dinner on the table?
Whether you are entertaining friends or want to feed your family a special treat, shrimp are a terrific option for all cooking levels, especially an ambitious (yet busy) home cook like yourself! They cook incredibly fast, are packed with rich meaty flavor, and you can even thaw them in minutes (more on that later). Read on to learn how this seared shrimp with garlic and herbs comes together in about 20 minutes (or less!).
Ingredients that Matter
Shrimp are the star of this recipe, but there are a few other important ingredients to learn about:
- Shrimp. Buy 16-20 shrimp, often labeled “colossal.” The 16-20 means there’s typically that many shrimp per pound. When searing shrimp, you want the big boys! If they are medium, small, or even labeled large, they’ll dry out before you can get a good sear. And no one wants dry, rubbery shrimp. Buy frozen shrimp. You may think buying those “fresh” shrimp on ice at your grocery store is the way to go, but please don’t do that (unless you live in a coastal state and you trust your fish monger). It’s not that “fresh” shrimp are worse than frozen, it’s just that (nearly all) fresh shrimp were previously frozen anyway. To ensure you have the “freshest” shrimp possible, buy frozen and thaw yourself. And, most importantly, purchase untreated shrimp. We’ll get into more details about how to ensure a good sear on shrimp, but you’ll never get a good sear on treated shrimp. Read below all about treated vs. untreated shrimp.
- Dry White Wine. Most of the sauce is made from dry white wine, so make sure you use something that tastes good. You’ll never improve the taste of wine by cooking it, so start with delicious wine, and you’ll have a delicious sauce! Use what you have or prefer, but an unoaked, dry chardonnay, pinot gris, or even a dry Riesling work well here.Â
- Unsalted Butter. The viscosity of the final sauce comes from stirring in cold butter. The butter slowly melts and emulsifies into the wine and garlic, making for a velvety rich sauce. Use unsalted to control that sodium level!
- Herbs. You want about 3 tablespoons of freshly chopped herbs. Our favorite is a combination of tarragon and parsley, but you could use chives, dill or chervil. Steer clear of woody herbs as they will likely overpower the dish. Â
Treated vs. untreated shrimp
You may have heard about “treated” shrimp and wondered what exactly that meant. Much of the shrimp sold in the U.S. is soaked in a a solution of tripolyphosphate to make them plump and full of moisture. The problem is all that extra moisture makes it nearly impossible to properly sear shrimp. Not only will they stay white or slightly pink when cooked, they’ll also be rubbery and watery. Yuck. No thanks.
Other added ingredients in your shrimp could be everfresh, sodium bisulfate and salt. The problem is these ingredients may not be required to be listed, even if it’s labeled “organic.” We aren’t going to make any health claims (there’s plenty of resources to find that information), and we trust you to make your own health and environmental decisions. But, strictly from a cooking perspective, you want shrimp with no extra ingredients listed, knowing that small amounts of additives may still be present. Frustrating, right? Untreated shrimp will sear better, and, quite frankly, taste better.
In general, if you live in the United States, buying farmed shrimp from the U.S. is your best bet. Look for certifications like the Global Seafood Alliance.
How to Thaw Shrimp Fast
Forgot to thaw your shrimp before dinner? No problem! You can thaw a 1 pound bag of shrimp in minutes by simply adding the shrimp directly to a bowl and running it under cold water. It should take about 5 minutes to thaw frozen shrimp under running water.
How to make seared shrimp
Besides buying untreated shrimp, there’s a few other considerations for preparing seared shrimp that are juicy, flavorful and never rubbery.
- Start with Dry Shrimp. Once the shrimp are completely thawed, pat them dry very well with paper towels. They need to be dry or else they are more likely to steam rather than sear.
- Salt and Oil the Shrimp. Tossing the shrimp in salt and resting at room temperature for just 10 minutes helps extract flavor. And it’s not long enough to draw out excess moisture, but instead properly seasons them. Adding oil to the shrimp directly means you can start the skillet at a lower temperature without them sticking.
- Start Low, then Crank the Heat. Sure, you can get a skillet blazing hot and sear shrimp in a matter of 30 to 45 seconds per side, but that may lead to undercooked shrimp and that’s a big food safety no no! We like adding shrimp in a single layer to a room temperature large cast iron skillet then turning the heat to medium-high. Do not overcrowd the skillet! Depending on your stovetop, after about 1 or 2 minutes, they’ll have a crusty sear. Flip and cook another 60 to 90 seconds to sear the other side. Since we are working in 2 batches, we recommend turning the heat off before adding the second batch of shrimp then reheating. It may sound against what you’ve been taught, but trust us on this one. it’s worth trying yourself!
- Kill the Heat When Starting the Sauce. By the time you finished searing the shrimp, the skillet will be too hot to add garlic. It’ll simply burn in seconds. Instead kill the heat, wait about 30 seconds, then add the garlic and stir, stir, stir. After 45 seconds, add the wine and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Cook until the wine reduces by half.
- Kill the Heat Again When Adding Butter. Yup, this post should really be all about heat control, but that’s sort of the point with delicate ingredients! The wine will be simmering while it reduces and when it’s reduced to half, turn the heat off and slowly whisk or stir in cold butter. This will encourage the butter to emulsify with the hot wine instead of melting too fast and making a greasy mess.Â
- Add Herbs Just Before Serving. You did a great job so far controlling the heat, buying the right kind of shrimp, and properly drying those shrimp. Now don’t turn those fresh green herbs into something brown and sad. Add the handful of fresh herbs directly onto the skillet just before serving and stir until the shrimp are coated in the sauce. Serve with a pinch of fresh black pepper, some wedges of lemon, and crusty bread. Give a final sprinkle of fresh herbs and serve with dry white wine.
Recipe
Perfect Seared Shrimp with Butter and Herbs
- Total Time: 20 min.
- Yield: 20 shrimp 1x
Description
Seared shrimp is our go-to weeknight meal when we want something a little extra special. And this recipe is the perfect combination of rich and delicious flavor yet quick and easy. Who needs fuss when they are trying to get dinner on the table?
Ingredients
- 1 pound colossal (16-20 count) peeled and deveined shrimp, thawed (see note)
- ¼ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 3 Tbsp. unsalted butter
- 3 Tbsp. chopped fresh herbs, such as parsley, tarragon and/or chives
- black pepper, to taste
- lemon wedges, for serving
Instructions
- Pat shrimp dry with paper towels. Transfer to a medium bowl and sprinkle with salt. Toss well and set aside at room temperature for 10 minutes.
- Add 1 tablespoon of the oil to the shrimp and toss well. Place half the shrimp in a large cast-iron skillet and place over medium-high heat (start the shrimp in a room temperature skillet). Cook, undisturbed, until golden brown on one side, 1 to 2 minutes. Flip and continue to cook, undisturbed, until golden brown on the other side, about 1 minute. Transfer to a clean plate. Turn off heat and repeat with remaining shrimp.
- Remove skillet from heat and add remaining 1 tablespoon oil and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, using the residual heat of the skillet, until fragrant, about 45 seconds. Add wine and turn heat on medium. Simmer over medium heat until reduced by about half, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk or stir in butter. Add shrimp back to skillet and sprinkle with herbs and black pepper. Add more salt to taste. Toss well. Serve with lemon wedges and more herbs.
Notes
- Be sure to purchase untreated shrimp. Look for “shrimp” listed as the only ingredient.
- Purchase frozen shrimp instead of “fresh” on ice at the grocery store. Nearly all shrimp sold in the U.S. is previously frozen, so starting with frozen is the closest you can get to “fresh” unless you live in a coastal state with good fishmongers.
- Do not overcook the shrimp. For food safety, be sure the internal temperature reaches 145°F.
- Prep Time: 10 min.
- Cook Time: 10 min.
- Category: main
- Method: searing
- Cuisine: American
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