Garlic Lemon Butter Shrimp

I pretty much summed up the entire recipe in the title. The original recipe called it “garlic butter shrimp,” but I think the touch of lemon juice deserves a mention in the title because it’s an important part of the taste.

Oh, I guess I’m getting ahead of myself. This is a dish I first made while hubby was away at school. It’s so easy and unremarkable that I didn’t take any pictures. But it’s simply yummy and I wanted to make it again, and I wanted to share it with anyone else who likes seafood.

First, this is my equipment. A rice cooker and a wok.

Now, the wok is actually a funny story. I had received it as a wedding present back in October, and with the chaos of finding homes for all the awesome new things that we got (including that rice cooker on the left, which I am in love with), the wok got stowed in a dirty storage spot under the stove that I never used because it was dirty and gross. Then I completely forgot about it. I only rediscovered this brand spankin’ new wok recently, and it was such an awesome discovery!

Next, set a pound of frozen raw shrimp in a colander to thaw under running water in the sink.

And pour a nice big glass of merlot enjoy while you cook.

That picture cracks me up because you can see my reflection in the glass. Pretty sure the professionals manage to avoid that. But it adds a personal touch, yes?

Okay, now for the food. Take 1/4 cup of butter…

…and melt it in your fancy new wok (or any old frying pan, really).

Add a bunch of garlic…

And then add the shrimp.

Saute it until the shrimp turns pink, about 5 minutes. Then add lemon juice and stir it up.

Put some rice in a bowl (and if you used a rice cooker, then it’ll be beautiful and fluffy like this rice)…

And top the rice with the shrimp and a little extra sauce, if you’re naughty. That’s it!

I didn’t do too much to alter this recipe. I think its beauty comes from its simplicity. The hardest part was waiting for the rice to cook before starting on the shrimp, since it takes 10 minutes max to whip up the shrimp. It’s buttery with a hint of lemon – not tart or puckery, just a fresh little bite that goes well with the seafood. You could put it over pasta, too, but I think I love the way the rice soaks everything up. I think this may be one of those dishes that I learn to do *gasp* without a recipe. Mmmm.

Recipe is in my Tastebook (click on the widget). If you try it out, let me know how it goes!