Email to Freya Friedman      

OLIVE GARDEN'S SICILIAN SHRIMP SCAMPI

Source of Recipe

Todd Wilbur's "Top Secret Recipes" (TopSecretRecipes.com)


Recipe Introduction

Once you have the onion, garlic and parsley all chopped up, this clone of a top appetizer pick at the O. G. takes only a few minutes to prepare. Cooks at the Olive Garden speed up the process by using what they call "scampi butter" -- which is just butter that has all the spices and garlic and onions already in it -- so that each serving is prepared quickly and consistently without any tedious measuring (this is a different sauce than what comes on the restaurant's chicken scampi). When the shrimp is done, each one is placed on the inside end of five toasted Italian bread slices which have been arranged on the plate in a spoke-like fashion (you can also use a French baguette with the slices cut on the bias). One shrimp is also placed in the middle of the plate, then the delicious sauce is poured over the top. When the shrimp is gone, you dip the bread in the sauce and keep on eating. I've included diced roma tomato as an optional garnish, since one Olive Garden I visited used it, but another location on the other side of town did not. As for the shrimp, use medium-size (they're called 31/40) that are already peeled, but with the tails left on. Then all you have to do to butterfly them is make a deep cut (don't go all the way through), on the outside of the shrimp where the vein was. When the shrimp is cooked, they will curl and spread open.

List of Ingredients

3 tablespoons Butter, softened
1 teaspoon minced white onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon Chablis wine
6 fresh medium shrimp, butterfly cut with tails on
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh parsley
pinch salt
pinch ground black pepper
pinch crushed red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon heavy cream
1 tablespoon sliced canned black olives

5 slices Italian bread, toasted

Optional Garnish
1 diced Roma Tomato
freshly grated Parmesan Cheese


Recipe

1. Toast the sliced Italian bread on a sheet pan in your oven set to broil, or in a toaster oven. The bread should toast for 1 to 2 minutes on each side, or until light brown. Arrange the bread slices in a spoke-like fashion on a serving plate then dance over to the stove to whip up the scampi.

2. Heat a small skillet over medium heat. Add 3 tablespoons butter to the pan.

3. When the butter has melted add the minced onion and garlic. Make sure your heat isn't up too high or the garlic may burn, and turn brown and bitter. When the onion and garlic have sautéed for just a few seconds, add the wine to the pan.

4. Immediately add the shrimp to the pan.

5. After you add the shrimp, quickly add the lemon juice, parsley, salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper and cook shrimp for 1 to 2 minutes, tossing occasionally.

6. After a minute or two, when the shrimp is done, add the cream and olives. Cook for 15 seconds or so, then use tongs to place one shrimp on the end of each bread slice (the ends that are in the center of the plate), and place one shrimp in the center of the plate (not on bread). Pour the sauce from the pan over the shrimp and serve the dish with a diced roma tomato sprinkled over the top and freshly grated parmesan cheese, if that's your thing.

YIELD: Appetizers for two.