The key to this recipe is to use butter from the northern French region of Normandy, or at the very least a European butter, either of which can be found in grocery stores or specialty food shops. Normandy butter contains more fat than American butter and tastes out of this world, especially in a recipe like this one that has just two main ingredients: succulent shrimp and rich butter.

　　

Ingredients

makes 4 to 6 servings

　　4 tablespoons unsalted Normandy butter

　　1 pound large (31 to 35 per pound) shrimp, peeled and deveined

　　2 teaspoons cayenne pepper, or to taste

　　Pinch of kosher salt

　　

Step 1

In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the shrimp, cayenne, and salt. Cook, gently stirring occasionally and turning the shrimp over at least once, until the shrimp are opaque pink or orange and cooked through, about 6 minutes.

　　

Step 2

Divide the shrimp among 4 to 6 small plates. Pour the remaining butter sauce over each and serve.

　　

All About Shrimp: Sizing and Cooking

Step 3

Where I call for shrimp in this book, you’ll see numbers in parentheses after the shrimp weight and size. This recipe, for instance, calls for “1 pound large shrimp (31 to 35 per pound).” The numbers in parentheses are called the “count” and indicate roughly how many shrimp of that size are in 1 pound. Because more general terms such as “small,” “medium,” “large,” and “jumbo” can mean different things depending on where you are, this is a surer indication of what size shrimp I use when I prepare the recipe. It’s often marked on the package or at the fish counter as a hyphenated range, such as “31–35.” It’s fine to use shrimp of a different size if they are all that are available to you; simply adjust the cooking time as necessary.

　　

Step 4

For recipes that call for cooked shrimp, place the shrimp still in their shells in a large pot of salted water. Bring the water to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the shrimp are pink all over, 2 to 4 minutes for small shrimp and 3 to 5 minutes for large shrimp. Drain and rinse in cold water. When they are cool enough to handle, peel and devein the shrimp. Use or eat at once, or refrigerate until needed or for up to 2 days.

　　Eva's Kitchen