Mostly when I think of baked stuffed shrimp, I think of the overcooked big shrimp with dry Ritz cracker stuffing. It usually looked better than it tasted. I think baked stuffed shrimp kind of lost its popularity just for that reason. Also, it was perhaps one of those dishes that was on every menu in every restaurant. I’ve decided it was time to give it a comeback.
I chose to do the old classic surf ’n’ turf for a recent dinner party. I often like to give people a choice of a main dish when I throw a big dinner. I never want anyone to go home feeling deprived. So the main course menu was, for the turf, a whole beef tenderloin, with a wild mushroom wine sauce and a horseradish creme fraiche sauce. Green beans with caramelized fennel, topped with orange gremolata made with the fronds from the fennel bulb and sliced almond. Roasted fingerling potatoes with rosemary and garlic. And for the surf part of the meal, the baked stuffed shrimp.
First I started with the best wild-caught shell-on raw gulf shrimp I could find. They were not the largest shrimp, but that’s OK. I think the ones I used were 16-20 per pound. I got a two-pound bag at Whole Foods. For 10 people, that was more than enough considering the turf part.
The nice thing about this dish is you can make it a few hours ahead and then just put it in a 375-degree oven for 15-20 minutes and serve. Peeling and butterflying the shrimp is a bit tedious but not difficult. I made a very simple stuffing with three biggish cloves of finely chopped garlic sautéed in 4 tablespoons of butter and a couple of tablespoons of olive oil, then added 1-1/2 cups of fresh bread crumbs and a handful of panko breadcrumbs. For seasonings, I added about a teaspoon of oregano, a quarter cup of chopped parsley, salt and pepper to taste. I also added to the mix about a cup of cooked and crumbled hot Italian sausage to kick it up a notch. Highly recommended but optional. But, if not adding hot sausage, add some red pepper flakes. ( I added some chopped small red pepper for a spot of color.) Add about a third of a cup of dry white wine and, if needed, a little chicken broth until it just holds together.
Stuffing the shrimp was also a bit time consuming, but once again not difficult. I arranged them fairly close together in a large baking pan where they sat happily in the fridge until just before dinnertime when they got baked. The recipe I followed, mostly, was from gourmetconnection.com.
So try this newer version of the old classic, and you won’t be disappointed. Just don’t overcook the shrimp. Serve them with fresh lemon wedges. Oh, and by the way, the crowd went wild.
And before I sign off, happy holidays! We will see you next year.
— LUCY
I respectfully disagree about the classic Ritz cracker stuffing for shrimp.
It does NOT come out dry if you use a stick of butter to sauté the crushed crackers in. Nothing beats this drenched stuffing on some large shrimp.
And sausage in baked, stuffed shrimp? I don’t think so. I’ll take the butter over the sausage any day.
There’s a reason they call it a classic.
Merry Christmas, everyone. See you in the new year.
— LOU