Garlic Shrimp a la Plancha
Shrimp a la plancha can be a party starter served with crusty bread, a light lunch with a simple salad, or dinner with a side of homemade fries. Plan ahead and order the whole, head-on shrimp in advance from your fishmonger. Make sure you don’t overcook them, as they’ll become rubbery. If you don’t have a proper plancha, a big cast-iron skillet works just as well. Using a good Spanish or Portuguese oil will get you bonus points.
Total Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
- 4 pounds large, head-on shrimp in the shell
- ¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Flaky salt, for serving
- Lemons wedges, for serving
Directions
- Devein the shrimp: Use a small, sharp knife to make an incision along the back of each shrimp, cutting through the shell, and remove the dark “vein.” Pat shrimp dry with a paper towel and place them on a paper-towel-lined baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and keep in the refrigerator until ready to cook.
- Make the garlic oil: In a small saucepan, over low heat, combine oil with garlic, and let infuse for 5 minutes. Turn off heat and let garlic steep.
- Heat a plancha or a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, working in batches to avoid overcrowding, dip each shrimp in garlic oil, lay it on the hot plancha or skillet and sprinkle with kosher salt. Cook until shrimp are opaque and shells are crisp and golden, 1½-2 minutes per side, depending on size.
- Transfer to a large, warm platter. Drizzle with a little garlic oil, add some cranks of black pepper and sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Serve immediately with lemon wedges.