Shrimp a la plancha is a velvety, buttery, and smooth dish that will impress any guest. Now, that said, it will impress because there is a lot of butter. I would not recommend making this every day; though, I am not one to judge if you decide to!
A la plancha is basically a style of cooking on high heat with low amounts of smoke. The word plancha itself means a griddle. Now, I used a flat skillet, and got some fabulous results. This dish takes that concept, and elevates it a little further by using the flat top or skillet to not only sear the shrimp, but also to toast the bread!
A little back story why I made this: a few friends and I have a supper club that gets together every two months. The theme this time was Atlanta restaurant recreations. While I wanted to make another dish first, I’m so glad I opted to make this one at the last minute. It was a hit!
What kind of shrimp should I use a la plancha?
Because this is a copycat recipe, it is inspired by The Optimist in Atlanta (and Nashville). They use whole shrimp with the head on. To make this generally friendly to the average person, you can absolutely use pealed and deveined shrimp. Try to buy the largest ones you can find. If you’re feeling adventurous, definitely leave the head on.
Ingredients
- 1 pound shrimp
- 6 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 1 shallot, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons white wine
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon chili paste
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 stick butter
- Parsley, chopped
- Salt, to taste
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Sourdough, sliced and toasted
Method
- Before getting started, season your shrimp with salt and pepper. Let it sit.
- Toast the sourdough slices in your toaster, or use a skillet to toast on both sides if the sourdough is too thick.
- Heat the skillet over medium heat. Add the butter and when it melts, saute the shallots, half the parsley, and garlic for about 1 minute.
- Next, add the shrimp and cook on both sides until cooked. Remove the shrimp to a bowl and lower the heat to a medium-low.
- Deglaze the skillet with white wine. Add the tomato paste and chili paste. Stir until the ingredients blend together.
- Add the heavy cream and bring to a simmer. Whisk in butter 1 tablespoon at a time. When 1 tablespoon melts into the sauce, add another. You can also add a little more heavy cream if you want more sauce. Once all the butter has been incorporated, add the shrimp back in. Toss to coat. Squeeze in the lemon juice and season with salt if necessary.
- Place a slice of sourdough in a shallow bowl, and scoop some of the shrimp mixture on top. Garnish with parsley.
Shrimp a la plancha
Ingredients
- 1 pound shrimp
- 6 garlic cloves roughly chopped
- 1 shallot thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons white wine
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon chili paste
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 stick butter
- Parsley chopped
- Salt to taste
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Sourdough sliced and toasted
Instructions
- Season the shrimp with salt and pepper. Let it sit.
- Toast the sourdough slices. Set aside.
- Heat the skillet over medium heat. Add the butter. When melted, saute the shallots, half the chopped parsley, and garlic for 1 minute.
- Add the shrimp and cook on both sides until cooked. Remove the shrimp to a bowl and lower the heat to a medium-low.
- Deglaze the skillet with white wine. Add the tomato paste and chili paste. Stir until the ingredients blend together.
- Add the heavy cream and bring to a simmer. Whisk in butter 1 tablespoon at a time. You can also add a little more heavy cream or about 1/4 cup water if you want more sauce. Once all the butter has been incorporated, add the shrimp back in. Toss to coat. Squeeze in the lemon juice and season with salt if necessary.
- Place a slice of sourdough in a shallow bowl, and scoop some of the shrimp mixture on top. Garnish with parsley.
Nutrition
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