Shrimp and Leek Skillet

I was going to make shrimp scampi but I had a leek that needed to be used. So I made a change and TA DA! shrimp and leek skillet was born.

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It’s like shrimp scampi plus leeks

This dish has all the highpoints of scampi…a rich butter and wine sauce, lots of shrimp and bright lemon zest. The addition of the leeks rounds out the dish with their slight onion flavor.

Leeks are plentiful and cheap here in Spain. Green onions are not. (It’s the opposite in the US, at least where we live in Maryland). I’ve been experimenting with substituting leeks for green onions in recipes and for the most part it works pretty well. I use the darker, but still tender, green parts of the leek. But one leek yields a lot more than a bunch of green onions!

How to Choose, Store and Prepare Leeks

• Look for a large white area and tender green.
• The tops shouldn’t be dried out, yellowed or withered.
• A little dirt is to be expected, but not much past the root end, otherwise the leek is likely to be gritty inside.
• To store, give the leeks a wipe with a damp paper towel and give the fibrous green tops a trim to help the leeks fit in the crisper drawer. They will keep for up to a week.
• To prepare, cut off the root end and cut into round slices. Large leeks can be cut in half the long way and cut into half moons. The lighter green parts of the leek are edible, discard the woody or fibrous bits.
• If the leeks are gritty, put the leeks in a large bowl and top with water. Give them a swish to remove the dirt. Most of the leeks should float and the dirt will fall to the bottom of the bowl. Use your hands or a strainer to remove the floating leeks to a colander to drain. Now they’re ready to use.

The best way to cook Shrimp and Leek Skillet

This is the sort of recipe that moves quickly once things get going, so I advise you to have everything measured out and ready to go before you begin cooking the shrimp. Place the shrimp in the marinade first, then prepare the rest of the ingredients. From start to finish we’re talking less than 15 minutes cook time.

Other than the addition of the leeks I didn’t make too many changes to the recipe I’d originally planned to share from Bon Appetit.

Shrimp and Leek Skillet

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Course: Main, seafood

Servings: 4 servings

Author: LydiaF

Ingredients

Marinade

• 2 garlic cloves grated (I use a microplane)
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Shrimp and Leeks

• 1 pound peeled and deveined large shrimp thawed if frozen
• white and green tender parts of a leek, sliced thinly
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• generous pinch red pepper flakes
• 4 tablespoons 1/2 stick or 115 grams butter
• 1/4 cup white wine dryer is better
• 2 garlic cloves thinly sliced
• juice and zest of 1/2 lemon
• chopped parsley for garnish

Instructions

Marinade the shrimp

• Whisk the marinade together and a medium mixing bowl . Add the shrimp and turn to coat evenly in the garlic, salt and oil. Place in the fridge and allow to marinate for 1/2 hour or longer.

Make shrimp and leek skillet

• Heat a large skillet over medium high heat.
• Dump in the shrimp and any juices that may have accumulated while marinating and cook for two to three minutes, stirring constantly.
• Remove the partially cooked shrimp to a bowl.
• Add olive oil and a generous pinch of red pepper flakes to the skillet.
• Add the white wine, sliced garlic and lemon juice.
• Stir in the chopped leeks and begin cooking them while the sauce reduces.
• When the sauce is about half the original volume, add the butter and allow it to melt.
• Return the shrimp to the skillet and stir to coat in the sauce and distribute them among the leeks.
• Season to taste with salt,pepper and lemon zest. Garnish with chopped parsley and lemon slices.
• Serve with crusty bread to wipe up the sauce.

Notes

Don't consume alcohol? Use broth (seafood, vegetable or chicken) or plain water.

Don't eat dairy? Substitute vegan spread for the butter.

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Try my steamed cod with leeks. The technique is very similar: