Scampi

Scampi

Cafe Capri
7600 Fair Oaks Boulevard
Carmichael, CA 95608
(916) 971-9600


INGREDIENTS:

2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 tsp Butter
1 tsp Shallots (finely chopped)
3 Cloves of Fresh Garlic (finely chopped)
1/2 a Lemon (squeezed)
2 ozs. Sherry
2 ozs. Brandy
6 Jumbo Prawns
Salt and Pepper to taste



COOKING INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Saute olive oil, butter, and garlic for about 1 minute.

2. Add Shallots and prawns to the mixture.

3. Saute for 2 minutes on each side of prawns. Flame with Brandy.

4. Add Sherry and steam for 2 more minutes.

5. Serve over rice.

scam·pi Pronunciation Key (skmp, skäm-) n. pl. scampi Large shrimp broiled or sautéed and served in a garlic and butter sauce.

See, I thought so. Then Shrimp Scampi is redundant, right? My son went out to eat over the weekend and he said they had chicken scampi and it's been driving me nuts cause I thought it meant shrimp with garlic, not just the sauce.

The recipe sounds good, Joanne. Thanks.

Well it was a google search of course. And I kind of thought I knew scampi was shrimp but had to check the dictionary. You gotta love the US, chicken scampi. That must be chicken in garlic and butter sauce.

That's what it was, per my son, and it was tasty which is why he asked me for a good scampi recipe. Got it at the Olive Garden which is about American as you can get and still pretend to be an Italian restaurant.

Bandylu,

From what I've noted in this country, scampi is a method of cooking. In other countries, the phrase "shrimp scampi" would be redundant because scampi means shrimp cooked in garlic and butter.

Another interesting note is that in European countries, prawns mean small shrimp. Here, especially in California, prawns mean very large shrimp.

Joanne, that recipe sounds delicious. Thanks.

My favorite easy shrimp recipe is from Martha Stewart. In a wok, heat 3 Tbsp of olive oil until very hot, add 3 Tbsp slivered fresh ginger and 4 julienned scallions, saute until just crispy, then add a lb. of peeled fresh shrimp, saute for 3-4 minutes until pink, then add a mix of 1 Tbsp sherry, 2 Tbsp soy sauce, dash of sugar. I usually add slivered garlic when I do the ginger and green onions but be careful not to let the garlic burn.

It seems that what "Scampi" is is dependent on who's definition you choose. From the Food Network Encylopedia (http://www.foodtv.com/terms/tt-r2/0,4474,1587,00.html) :

Scampi:
Definition: [SKAM-pee] 1. The Italian name for the tail portion of any of several varieties of lobsterettes, the most well known being the Dublin Bay prawn. Scampo is the singular form of the word. 2. On U.S. restaurant menus, the term is often used to describe large shrimp that are split, brushed with garlic oil or butter and broiled.


Chicken doesn't seem to fit in there anywhere though.. (They have a REALLY interesting definition for "prawns" too! lol)

Hiya,
Yeah, our italian friends are always laughing at us for the name "shrimp scampi", gigglng at "Shrimp Shrimp",..

Joanne that recipe does sound great, I have a similar Spanish recipe,...really yummy!!

Here's that spanish recipe:

Gambas al Ajillo

½ cup butter (one stick)
½ cup of Olive Oil
2 Tbls. Chopped Garlic
2 lbs. medium shrimp, peeled
1 Tbls. dried chili flakes
2 Bay (laurel) leaves
1/4 cup lemon juice
½ cup Sherry , Manzanilla, or Fino
½ cup garlic aioli (or garlic mayo)
Salt and Black pepper, to taste
½ cup Chopped Parsley



Heat a large saute pan, over medium heat, add the butter and oil, melt then turn up the heat.
Add the chili flakes and the bay leaves, wait a minute then add the garlic. When the garlic has begun to turn golden, add the shrimp. Toss, or stir till the shrimp just start to turn pink, crank up the heat and add the sherry and the lemon juice. Allow the liquid to reduce by half, remove from heat. Stir in the aioli, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove to serving dish, then garnish with the chopped parsley. Serve with good bread (I usually toast mine) to sop up the sauce.

Thanks for the recipes everyone. I'll pass them along to my son (and most probably try them myself, too). And thanks for the dictionary lessons, as well. Makes me feel good to find out I actually remember something correctly (it's getting harder and harder, you know).

The trick with shrimp is to have the shrimp absorb the flavors of the surrounding sauce. I am wondering if the flaming in Joanne's recipe helps with that.

I have been trying to reproduce, off and on, a dish I had in a restaurant that is either not there anymore, or doesn't list the dish on its website...Giulio's in Pacific Beach, near San Diego. They had a shrimp marsala (this was years ago) that arrived at the table sizzling in what I now think of as a clay pot. As I remember the sauce was simple, probably butter, garlic, capers, marsala, and who knows what else. In all my variations, I haven't gotten it to taste as wonderful as it did in that restaurant then.

ossobuco -- might that not just be a case of one's memory making things better than reality? I've had that happen any number of times even when I had a precise, actual recipe.

here is a shrimp scampi cheesecake appetizer from the safeway site.

Ingredients

* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 1 onion
* 6 teaspoons minced garlic
* 1 pound fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined
* 12 shells puff pastry, baked
* 4 tablespoons butter or margarine
* 3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
* 4 eggs
* 1/2 cup heavy cream
* 16 ounces smoked Gouda, grated
* 2 teaspoons salt


Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a large skillet over medium-low heat, warm oil and saute onions and garlic until onions are translucent; set aside to cool. When cool, pour off liquid reserving garlic.
3. Cut shrimp into 1/2 inch pieces, reserving 12 uncut for garnish. In a large skillet over medium-low heat, melt butter and add reserved garlic and all shrimp; cook shrimp for 2 to 4 minutes or until done.
4. Remove center circle and a small portion of inside of cooled puff pastry shells.
5. In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese until creamy; add one egg at a time and beat until well mixed. Add cream, Gouda, onions, shrimp and salt.
6. Spoon filling into puff pastry shells.
7. Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until filling is browned on top. Garnish with whole shrimp and chopped chives; serve.

this is a great site and it helps make meals easy. let me know how it turns out