Shrimp, butter, garlic, wine and lemon juice make the classic combination we know and love as shrimp scampi. But what do we really know about this dish? What is a scampi, for example?
Like many things we eat, the concept of scampi has morphed over time. The word is the plural of the Italian "scampo," which refers to a small shellfish also called a Norway lobster, prawn, langoustine or, scientifically, Nephrops norvegicus. Scampi has come to be thought of as a style of preparing the shellfish with the ingredients mentioned above, usually served with pasta.
Unless you are in Great Britain, where scampi can mean a basket of fried prawns and french fries.
By now I’ve either made you hungry or ruined all thought of a scampi dinner with too much information. Sorry.
Getting to the point: My friend Mary asked if I could track down the recipe for shrimp scampi that she remembers enjoying at the old Columbia Inn.
I found it in the cookbook "Dining In — Hawaii," by Maxine Saltonstall (Peanut Butter Publishing, 1981). The dish was not called scampi, but if you look at the ingredients or make the dish (which I did), you can see its clear resemblance to scampi. The only departure from the traditional is that it includes mushrooms, which is OK with the scampi universe. Look up several recipes and you’ll find some that include breadcrumbs, tomatoes or herbs such as tarragon. Some sub vermouth for the wine.
Columbia Inn also passed on the pasta, recommending that the dish be served with rice pilaf.
Columbia Inn Shrimp Saute with Fresh Mushrooms
1-1/2 pounds large shrimp
6 tablespoons butter
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 pound button mushrooms, washed and sliced
6 tablespoons white wine
Juice of 1/2 lemon, about 1-1/2 tablespoons
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Shell and devein shrimp under cold running water. Place on paper towels and pat dry.
Melt butter in skillet over medium heat. When butter sizzles but is not quite brown, add garlic, stirring to distribute flavor.
Add shrimp. Saute about 3 minutes, until shrimp is just pink but not quite done. Add mushrooms and cook 1-1/2 minutes. Add wine; simmer 1 minute. Add lemon, salt and pepper. Garnish with parsley. Serves 4.
Approximate nutritional analysis, per serving (not including salt to taste): 310 calories, 19 g fat, 11 g saturated fat, 260 mg cholesterol, 1,150 mg sodium, 6 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 1 g sugar, 25 g protein
Nutritional analysis by Joannie Dobbs, Ph.D., C.N.S.
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