Serves 4. Published November 1, 2008. From Cook's Illustrated.
Marinate the shrimp while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
| 5 | medium garlic cloves , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 5 teaspoons), plus 4 medium cloves, smashed |
| 1 | pound large shrimp (21-25), peeled, deveined, each shrimp cut into 3 pieces |
| 3 | tablespoons olive oil |
| Table salt | |
| 1 | pound pasta in short, tubular shapes, such as fusilli, campanelle, or mezze rigatoni |
| 1/4-1/2 | teaspoon red pepper flakes |
| 2 | teaspoons unbleached all-purpose flour |
| 1/2 | cup dry vermouth or white wine |
| 3/4 | cup clam juice |
| 1/2 | cup chopped fresh parsley |
| 3 | tablespoons unsalted butter |
| 1 | teaspoon lemon juice plus 1 lemon, cut into wedges |
| Ground black pepper |
Toss 2 teaspoons minced garlic, shrimp, 1 tablespoon oil, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in medium bowl. Let shrimp marinate at room temperature 20 minutes.
Heat 4 smashed garlic cloves and remaining 2 tablespoons oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until garlic is light golden brown, 4 to 7 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and use slotted spoon to remove garlic from skillet; discard garlic. Set skillet aside.
Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large Dutch oven over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon salt and pasta. Cook until just al dente, then drain pasta, reserving 1/4 cup cooking water, and transfer pasta back to Dutch oven.
While pasta cooks, return skillet with oil to medium heat; add shrimp with marinade to skillet in single layer. Cook shrimp, undisturbed, until oil starts to bubble gently, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir shrimp and continue to cook until almost cooked through, about 1 minute longer. Using slotted spoon, transfer shrimp to medium bowl. Add remaining 3 teaspoons minced garlic and pepper flakes to skillet and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute; stir in vermouth and cook for 1 minute. Add clam juice and parsley; cook until mixture starts to thicken, 1 to 2 minutes. Off heat, whisk in butter and lemon juice. Add shrimp and sauce to pasta, adding reserved cooking water if sauce is too thick. Season with black pepper. Serve, passing lemon wedges separately.
Serves 4. Published March 1, 1996.
This recipe was developed for a standard sea scallop, about the size of a short, squat marshmallow. If using smaller scallops, turn off the heat as soon as you turn them; they will finish cooking from the residual heat, fifteen to thirty seconds longer. For very large scallops, turn the heat to low once they have browned and continue cooking for one minute. Turn the scallops, raise the heat to medium, and cook them at least two minutes on the second side. If made ahead, the pesto separates slightly but the flavor doesn’t suffer. If grilling or broiling scallops, Chef Ed Brown, who developed this recipe, recommends brushing this pesto directly onto the scallops before cooking.
| Pesto | |
| 1 | cup packed fresh cilantro leaves |
| 1 | tablespoon pine nuts |
| 1 | medium clove garlic , chopped coarse |
| 1/2 | teaspoon grated lemon zest from 1 small lemon |
| 1/4 | teaspoon table salt |
| 1/8 | teaspoon ground black pepper |
| 1/4 | cup olive oil |
| Scallops | |
| 1 1/2 | pounds sea scallops , about 30 to a pound, small side muscles removed (see illustration below) |
| 1 1/2 | tablespoons olive oil |
Pulse cilantro, pine nuts, garlic, zest, salt, and pepper in bowl of food processor until minced. With motor running, gradually add oil. Process until smooth; set aside.
Sprinkle scallops on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat large (11-inch) sauté pan over medium-high heat until hot, about 1 minute. Add half the oil; swirl to coat bottom. Continue to heat pan until butter begins to turn golden brown. Add half the scallops, one at a time, flat side down; cook, adjusting heat as necessary to prevent fat from burning, until scallops are well browned, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Using tongs, turn scallops, one at a time; cook until medium-rare (sides firmed up and all but middle third of scallop opaque), 30 seconds to 1 1/2 minutes longer, depending on size. Repeat cooking process using remaining half of oil and scallops. Divide scallops among four plates. Drizzle portion of pesto over each plate of scallops. Serve immediately
