Ina Garten baked shrimp scampi from Barefoot Contessa tops butterflied shrimp with a garlic herb butter mixed with panko and lemon. And the dish serves 6 at approximately 480 calories per serving in about 25 minutes, since the shrimp bake at 425°F for only 10 to 12 minutes.
Most scampi recipes sauté shrimp loose in a skillet with butter and garlic, but Ina arranges them in a gratin dish and bakes a compound butter on top. So the panko in the butter crisps into a golden crust while the shrimp cook gently underneath, which gives every piece both crunch and tenderness.
Butterflying the shrimp before arranging them cut side down is the step that makes this dish work. And if you skip the butterfly cut, the thick rounded backs prevent the butter topping from sitting flush against the meat, so the panko slides off instead of crisping in place.
Source: Ina Garten (Barefoot Contessa)
Ina Garten Baked Shrimp Scampi
Course: DinnerCuisine: Italian, AmericanDifficulty: Easy6
servings15
minutes12
minutes480
kcalPeeled and butterflied shrimp marinate briefly in olive oil, white wine, salt, and pepper while a mashed butter with garlic, shallots, herbs, lemon, egg yolk, and panko comes together. Then the shrimp fan out in a gratin dish, the butter spreads on top, and 10 to 12 minutes at 425°F finishes everything hot and bubbly.
Ingredients
- For the shrimp:
2 pounds shrimp (12 to 15 per pound), peeled, deveined, and butterflied with tails on
3 tablespoons good olive oil
2 tablespoons dry white wine
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- For the butter topping:
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 teaspoons minced garlic (4 cloves)
1/4 cup minced shallots
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary leaves
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 extra-large egg yolk
2/3 cup panko
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- For serving:
Lemon wedges
Directions
- Preheat the oven: Heat to 425°F.
- Marinate the shrimp: Then toss the butterflied shrimp in a bowl with olive oil, white wine, salt, and pepper.
- Let them sit: While you make the topping, leave the shrimp at room temperature to absorb the marinade.
- Mash the butter mixture: In a small bowl, mash the softened butter with garlic, shallots, parsley, rosemary, red pepper flakes, lemon zest, lemon juice, egg yolk, panko, salt, and pepper.
- Arrange the shrimp: Starting from the outer edge of a 14-inch oval gratin dish, lay the shrimp in a single layer cut side down with tails curling toward the center.
- Add the marinade: Then pour any remaining marinade from the bowl over the shrimp.
- Spread the butter topping: Once arranged, spread the butter mixture evenly over all the shrimp.
- Bake the scampi: Then bake for 10 to 12 minutes until hot and bubbly throughout.
- Broil if desired: For a browned top, place under the broiler for 1 minute after baking.
- Serve: Then remove from the oven and serve with lemon wedges.
FAQs
What size shrimp should I use?
The recipe calls for 12 to 15 per pound, which are labeled jumbo or extra-large at most fish counters. And this size is important because smaller shrimp overcook in the 10 to 12 minutes before the butter topping has time to crisp.
But if you can only find 16 to 20 count shrimp, reduce the bake time by 2 to 3 minutes and skip the broiler. Since smaller shrimp curl tighter when cooked, they also do not fan out as neatly in the gratin dish.
Why does the butter topping include an egg yolk?
The egg yolk binds the softened butter, panko, and herbs into a paste that holds together on top of the shrimp instead of melting off. And without it, the butter liquefies in the hot oven and the panko floats away into the marinade pooling at the bottom.
So do not skip the yolk, because it is the structural difference between a crispy topped gratin and a greasy puddle of bread crumbs. And make sure the butter is fully softened before mashing, since cold butter does not incorporate the yolk evenly.
What kind of white wine works in the marinade?
Only 2 tablespoons go in, so any dry white like Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc works without overpowering the lemon and garlic. And dry vermouth is a reliable pantry swap since it lasts months after opening and adds a subtle herbal note.
But avoid sweet whites or cooking wine, because the sugar and sodium compete with the compound butter. And the same dry white wine rule applies to the dressing in the ina garten orzo with roasted vegetables, where a clean, neutral wine lets the lemon come through.
What should I serve alongside baked shrimp scampi?
Crusty bread is the classic pairing, because it soaks up the garlic butter pooling in the gratin dish. And a green salad with lemon vinaigrette echoes the citrus in the topping without adding heaviness.
For a full Barefoot Contessa dinner, start with this scampi and follow with the ina garten parmesan chicken as a second course, since both share a lemon-forward profile. But angel hair pasta tossed with the pan juices also turns this appetizer into a main course on its own.
Can I prep the dish ahead and bake it later?
You can arrange the shrimp and spread the butter topping up to 4 hours ahead, then cover and refrigerate until ready to bake. And the chilled butter actually holds its shape better on top, so the panko crisps more evenly than it does at room temperature.
But add 2 to 3 extra minutes to the bake time since the cold dish needs longer to heat through. And do not marinate the shrimp for more than 30 minutes before assembling, because the acid in the wine and lemon starts to cook the surface and turns the texture rubbery.
