Recipe: Little Shrimp Casseroles

Cookbook

Little Shrimp Casseroles

4 servings

This couldn't be simpler. Toss shrimp with garlic, scallions, and mushrooms, top with crumbs, and bake. It's a perfect party dish: you can do the advance preparation hours ahead, and the individual gratins mean no serving up at the last minute. (Of course, you can make this in one large dish.)

I use large shrimp here, but smaller shrimp can be substituted and the cooking time reduced by a few minutes.

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
1/4 cup minced scallions
1/2 cup coarsely chopped white button mushrooms (about 2 mushrooms)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 pound large shrimp (about 24), shelled
1 cup fresh bread crumbs (from about 3/4 slice white bread
processed in a food processor)
1/4 cup white wine

Mix the butter in a large bowl with the garlic, scallions, mushrooms, salt, pepper, and 1 tablespoon of the oil. Add the shrimp and toss to mix well. Divide the mixture among four individual gratin dishes with about a 1-cup capacity, or spoon into one large gratin dish or a shallow baking dish.

In another bowl, toss the bread crumbs with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, so that they are lightly coated but still fluffy. Sprinkle the crumbs over the shrimp mixture and pour the wine on top.

About 30 minutes before serving time, heat the oven to 425 degrees. When the oven is ready, place the gratin dishes or dish on a cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes, or until the topping is nicely browned and the shrimp are just cooked through. Serve immediately.

Make Ahead

The shrimp can be tossed with a mixture of garlic, scallions, mushrooms, salt, pepper, and oil a few hours ahead, and the gratins cooked at the last moment in a hot oven.

Buy the Book!

from:
Jacques Pepin Fast Food My Way
by Jacques Pepin
Houghton Mifflin
Photographs by Ben Fink
Hardcover; 224 pages, $30.00
Illustrations: Full color with more than 60 photos
ISBN: 0618393129
Recipe reprinted by permission.