Circle B Kitchen

We have a good news and bad news sort of situation today. Let's get the bad news out of the way first, shall we? It's spring in the Midwest! And that means no holds barred, people...snow, wind, freezing temperatures, tornado warnings, winter storm warnings, and just for added fun, let's do that all at once!

The good news? Well....

Good news, indeed. About a week ago we decided to pack up the car and hunt down spring and we weren't stopping until we found it. Of course, the trail led straight to the Western Headquarters of the Circle B Kitchen on the California central coast where we did indeed find spring hiding out, doing spring as it was intended to be done. Which is to say, gloriously.

So while at home the snow falls and the wind blows and the temperatures dip to freezing, we embark on long walks along the beach and in the hills and get re-acquainted with color. And fresh seafood, which sort of serves as a segue to that photo up top, which one could whip up anywhere good frozen shrimp might be found.

It just happened to be one of those spur of the moment meals that turns into something a bit more memorable than you anticipated, owing to Ina Garten's recipe for Garlic and Herb-Roasted shrimp. Which I've been wanting to make ever since I came across her recipe on Pinterest a while back. It did not disappoint. I mean, how could it... butter, olive oil, a little lemon, butter, crushed red pepper, butter, garlic, herbs, butter and shrimp. It all gets roasted up in the oven to shrimp perfection and served with crusty bread to drag through the amazing garlic-y butter sauce created in the pan. I roasted some beautifully fresh springtime asparagus alongside in the oven for exactly the same amount of time as the shrimp. I can think of worst ways to celebrate spring. You've just got to find it first. Here's the recipe...

Garlic and Herb-Roasted Shrimp

Click here for a printable recipe

The only change I made to this recipe was to dial back the lemon a bit. I added the zest, but left out the lemon slices and lemon juice. If you like a hefty lemon presence to your seafood, then by all means, add it all in. We liked the background hint that the zest lent to the dish without overpowering the other flavors. I also added a bit more crushed red pepper, but that, too, is up to your personal preference. Also, I did this all in one pan...made the sauce in a large skillet and then added the shrimp right in before roasting.

Recipe courtesy, Ina Garten

1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter
2 tablespoons good olive oil
2 tablespoons minced garlic (6 cloves)
2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary leaves
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 large lemons
2 pounds (8- to 10-count)* shrimp, peeled with the tails on
1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
4 slices country bread, toasted

* The shrimp I used was a little smaller, which worked nicely, but the bigger your shrimp the better

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Note: I made this in one pan by making the sauce in a large cast iron skillet and then adding the shrimp to the same pan before roasting.

Melt the butter over low heat in a medium (10-inch) saute pan. Add the olive oil, garlic, rosemary, red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper and cook over low heat for one minute. Off the heat, zest one of the lemons directly into the butter mixture.

Meanwhile, arrange the shrimp snugly in one layer in a large (12-inch) round ovenproof sauté pan (or 10 × 13-inch baking dish) with only the tails overlapping. Pour the butter mixture over the shrimp. Sprinkle with the sea salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Slice the ends off the zested lemon, cut five (1/4-inch-thick) slices, and tuck them among the shrimp. Roast for 12 to 15 minutes, just until the shrimp are firm, pink, and cooked through. Cut the remaining lemon in half and squeeze the juice onto the shrimp. Serve hot with the toasted bread for dipping into the garlic butter.