I’m always looking for simple, fresh meals in summer and shrimp is a real go to for me. I buy it peeled and deveined and ready to go, and it cooks so quickly without heating up the kitchen. And I love the versatility – it can take on so many flavors. And abundance of beautiful summery herbs makes for a light and sunny meal. This dish is really simple to prepare – a whir in the food processor, a little sauté and you’re done, but the results are absolutely packed with flavor. It’s simple enough for a weeknight meal, but elegant enough for company. And I love the idea of making a big skillet of this and popping it in the center of the table for everyone to dig into – add a fresh summer salad on the side and you are done.
The shrimp are juicy and tender and bathed in a delicious, herby, sauce. You could serve this over rice or pasta, but I really love it served in bowls with some good bread to dip into all that lovely buttery sauce. I buy beautiful wild caught gulf shrimp and fresh herbs at my local farmers market, but this is an amazing way to use up herbs you may have hanging around and shrimp from the freezer. Parsley is a good base, but you can really use a combination of whatever you have on hand or growing in your garden. If you’d like, you can add a little sliced fresh chili or some chili pepper flakes to the oil when preparing the shrimp.
- 1 large or 2 medium shallots
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 cup loosely packed dill fronds
- ½ cup loosely packed parsley leaves
- ¼ cup loosely packed mint leaves
- ¼ cup loosely packed oregano leaves
- Juice of one lemon
- ½ cup plus 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined
- ¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter
- Chop the shallot and the garlic in the bowl of a food processor. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then add the herbs and finely chop. Add the lemon juice and pulse a few times, then with the motor running, drizzle in the olive oil until the mixture is well blended and emulsified. Add salt and pepper to taste. Scrape the herb sauce into a bowl and set aside. The sauce can be made several hours ahead; cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface and refrigerate. Bring the sauce back to room temperature before using.
- Heat 2 Tablespoons of olive oil in a large, deep skillet over high heat. Add the shrimp and cook for a few minutes, just to seal the outside of each shrimp. Lower the heat to medium and add the butter and stir until it is melted and coating the shrimp. Pour over the herb sauce and stir to coat well. Cook just until the shrimp is cooked through, pink and firm. Serve immediately.
Christy says
I made this for dinner tonight. My husband and teenage sons all loved it. It was super-simple and delicious!
Isadora Guidoni says
I always say I’m not a big fan of shrimp, but every time I find a recipe like this I’m like “I NEED THIS”, lol. Can’t wait to try this.