Quick and Easy Weeknight Meal

One of my new favorite food magazines is Fine Cooking. I just discovered it last year and Sweet Cash (with a little help from Russ) gave me a subscription to it for Christmas. I got my latest issue just recently and the front cover immediately caught my eye. It is a Hot Garlicky Shrimp with Asparagus and Lemon dish served over pasta. So, I put it on the menu for tonight and it will be my first recipe out of this issue.

It was fairly quick to prepare as there are not that many ingredients only a couple require chopping. I got all the peeled, deveined shrimp that Tria had left and then the rest Russ peeled and deveined for me. In the magazine they serve it with linguine, but I served it with spaghetti because we already had some. I should have timed how long it took me to prepare and cook the meal as it was pretty quick. Another aspect I liked about it is that it is a meal in its self and I didn't need to prepare anything additional to go with it. It had a wonderful fresh, light flavor to it with just enough heat from the red pepper flakes. This is definitely a meal that will be repeated in our house. While I loved the asparagus with it I think you could easily mix up the vegetable(s) you use in it if you want some variety.

All in all this was a wonderful weeknight meal that will most likely show up again at our house sometime this summer. Russ rates this recipe a 9.

Hot Garlicky Shrimp with Asparagus and Lemon
Fine Cooking, April / May 2007

Serves three.

1 lb. shrimp (21 to 25 per lb.), peeled, deveined, rinsed, and patted dry
¾ tsp. kosher salt; more as needed
Freshly ground black pepper
1 lemon
6 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
4 medium cloves garlic, thinly sliced
¾ lb. asparagus, bottoms snapped off, halved lengthwise if thick, and cut into 2-inch lengths (2 cups)
1/8 to ¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
2/3 cup low-salt chicken broth
½ tsp. cornstarch

Sprinkle the shrimp with a scant ¼ tsp. salt and a few generous grinds of black pepper. Using a peeler, gently shave the zest in strips from the lemon, taking care not to get any of the bitter white pith. Squeeze the lemon to get 1 Tbs. juice.

Put a 12 inch skillet (not non-stick) over medium-high heat for 1 ½ minutes. Add 2 Tbs. of the oil and once it’s shimmering hot, add the shrimp in a single layer. Cook undisturbed until the shrimp browns nicely, about 2 minutes. Flip the shrimp and brown the second side, about 1 ½ minutes. Transfer to a large plate. The shrimp should be a little undercooked.

Reduce the heat to medium, add the remaining 4 Tbs. oil and the garlic and cook, tossing until the garlic starts to sizzle steadily, about 30 seconds. Add the asparagus, lemon zest, and red pepper flakes, sprinkle with ½ tsp. salt and cook, tossing often, until the garlic is golden brown and the asparagus looks blistery in places, 2 to 2 minutes. Add the chicken broth, cover, with the lid ajar, and cook until the asparagus is just tender, 1 to 2 minutes.

In a small dish, whisk together the cornstarch with 1 Tbs. water, stir into the asparagus mixture, and bring to a boil. Stir in the shrimp, reduce the heat to low, and cook, tossing, until the shrimp is opaque throughout (cut one in half to check), 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the 1 Tbs. lemon juice and then add salt, pepper, and additional lemon juice to taste. Serve immediately. (Serve over hot al dente linguine.)