Shrimp in Cream Sauce
Region: Italy
Category: Seafood
Season: Any
Difficulty: Labor Intensive

Jumbo shrimp, and larger, are the fastest and easiest shrimp to butterfly because of their size.  The shrimp will then be thin delta-shaped scaloppine.  The cream sauce is fragrant with garlic but rich, so this dish is best served with a simple vegetable to drag through the sauce, such as fresh green beans.  If using fresh shrimp with their heads you'll need 2 pounds)

[photo: Clifford A. Wright]

Yield: Makes 2 to 4 servings
Preparation Time: 25 minutes

1 pound jumbo or larger shrimp, shells removed and saved for making broth

1/4 cup unsalted butter

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

All-purpose flour for dredging

Salt to taste

3 tablespoons finely chopped onion

2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley

1 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 cup heavy cream

1. Slit the shrimp from head to tail along the belly with a sharp paring knife, then pull out the intestinal track.  Make sure you don't cut all the way through.  Open the shrimp a bit with your fingers and lay them belly side down on an oiled piece of wax paper.  Salt them lightly, cover with another sheet of wax paper and pound them gently with a mallet until they are thin.  Be careful you don't break them when flattening as they are fragile.

2. Dredge the shrimp in the flour, tapping off any excess.  In a large skillet, heat the olive oil with the butter over high heat, then once the butter melts, cook the onion, garlic, and parsley for 2 minutes, stirring constantly so the garlic doesn't burn.

3. Cook the shrimp in the skillet 1 minute per side.  Sprinkle on the white pepper.  Pour in the white wine and cook until it evaporates, about 2 minutes.  Pour in the heavy cream, lower the heat to medium and cook until the sauce has thickened a bit or until the sauce is the way you like it, about 2 to 4 minutes.

Variation: 

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Posted: 12/29/2006