Fall is approaching and that means my good friend Kitty will be making her annual trip soon.
Kitty and I met back in 1991, when she was a lifty and I was a first-year ski instructor. After working on the slopes all day, we would both go to our night jobs at Resort at Squaw Creek, which happened to be in the same restaurant. She was a waitress and I was cooking. As we became better friends, I asked where she was from and she said Nantucket. Well, I already had my summer job set up for that year, which just happened to be at the Nantucket Yacht Club, and we have been great friends ever since.
Scampi is great as an appetizer or entrée and is often served alone or over pasta.
The thing about Kitty’s vacation is that I’m not even sure if I’m the most excited person to see her. Well, I probably am the happiest to see her, but all my friends look forward to her arrival for a much different reason.
Kitty’s husband, Spanky, doesn’t come with her, but what he does do is give Kitty a day or two to settle in and then he sends out a big box of fresh East Coast seafood. Last year it was lobsters, steamers (real East Coast soft shells), oysters, clams, Nantucket Bay scallops and a variety of smoked fish and we added shrimp from out here.
We have the biggest seafood dinner of the year and prepare each item in multiple ways — and that is another reason why everyone looks forward to her vacation.
I thought I would do Shrimp Scampi this year. Scampi is great as an appetizer or entrée and is often served alone or over pasta. It is quick and easy to prepare, so if you are craving seafood for dinner, give it a try.
Shrimp Scampi
1½ lbs. shrimp size 16-20s, shelled & deveined
4 T butter
2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
4 oz. white wine
1 lemon
¼ bunch flat leaf parsley, chopped
Salt and pepper
Use a sauté pan that is large enough so the shrimp will not be overlapping when cooking or cook them in two batches. Place the pan on medium-high heat with 3 T of the butter, the garlic and the shrimp. Cook the shrimp for about 1 to 2 minutes, flip and add 3 oz. of the white wine. Let this cook just until the shrimp are barely cooked through; they will be opaque or white and no longer clear when you break one in half.
If serving alone, squeeze lemon juice to taste, add the parsley and season with salt and pepper.
If serving over pasta and you want a little extra sauce, remove the shrimp from the pan, add the rest of the butter and wine. Once that is all melted, add the lemon, parsley, salt and pepper. Add the shrimp and immediately toss with the pasta and serve.
