Shrimp in the Shells with Lots of Garlic and Butter

Name: Shrimp in the Shells with Lots of Garlic and Butter
Ingredients: “½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 8 garlic cloves, thinly sliced; Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper; 1 tablespoon tomato paste; 4 chiles de árbol, crushed, or 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes; 1½ pounds medium head-on shrimp; 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro, parsley, or basil; 1 lemon, halved; Toast, for serving (optional)”

4 steps

“When I was growing up, my mom had a thing called the “One Bite Rule.” With anything, no matter how weird or gross I thought it was, I had to have one bite. This is how I was forced into eating uni before the age of twelve, but I am the better for it. So here comes a One Bite Rule recipe where I am suggesting you buy something that is (a) expensive and (b) scary for some. But hear me out: head-on shrimp in the shell are one of life’s greatest pleasures. This dish is really best eaten with your hands, and the only way to describe it gets pretty graphic. If eating the shell is not your speed—it is 100 percent my speed—you gotta rip the shells off to separate the head from the body of the shrimp, and suck the juices out of the head end to get the full experience. And what a delicious experience it is. Come on. It’s the One Bite Rule!”

Updated at: Thu, 17 Aug 2023 08:50:14 GMT

Nutrition balance score

Unbalanced

Glycemic Index

Low

Glycemic Load

Low

Nutrition per serving

Calories410.2 kcal (21%)

Total Fat35.9 g (51%)

Carbs9 g (3%)

Sugars1.4 g (2%)

Protein14.4 g (29%)

Sodium499.4 mg (25%)

Fiber1 g (4%)

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Ingredients

4 servings

½ cupunsalted butter

2 tablespoonsolive oil

8garlic cloves

thinly sliced

kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoontomato paste

1 cupfresh cilantro

chopped, parsley, or basil

1lemon

halved

Toast

for serving, optional ”

Instructions

Step 1

“Heat the butter and oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the butter starts to melt, add the garlic and season with salt and black pepper. Cook until it starts to sizzle and soften, about 3 minutes. Add tomato paste and chiles, stirring until the tomato paste begins to caramelize, about 2 minutes. Add the shrimp and 2 tablespoons water, and season with salt and black pepper, tossing to coat them in the butter-and-garlic mixture. Cook until they’re bright pink and just cooked through, about 5 minutes (less if the shrimp are smaller or headless).

Step 2

Remove from the heat, add the herbs, and squeeze lemon over everything.

Step 3

Pick a shrimp out of the skillet and peel the shell away. Remove the head (you are gonna suck on the head, right?) and drag the shrimp through that garlicky butter, squeezing a little more lemon over. This is perfect with nearly burnt toast (if desired), a cold beer, or just on its own.

Step 4

NOTE: You can, of course, use regular medium shrimp here, although you’ll only need about 1¼ pounds.”