When planning the Christmas dinner and sharing my appetizer ideas with my sister she immediately said 'not shrimp with cocktail sauce' and then after a pause said 'we have some spillers in the family and I don't want all of your white and ivory furniture ruined'. I don't always listen to my sister (even though she usually has my best interests at heart), but she started me thinking that I really needed to find a different way of serving shrimp. Because in spite of having 'spillers' in the family, I also have a family that loves seafood, particularly shrimp.
It took me awhile but I think I came up 'the' one to rival all other shrimp appetizer recipes and to replace the traditional shrimp platter. But maybe most important it is 'the' one to not having a furniture ruining liability. Shrimp marinated in garlic, coated with Panko bread crumbs and then roasted transforms them to such a state you probably won't be waiting for that second cocktail or even the first one before you put at least one on your plate. After serving the Roasted Panko Crusted Shrimp with Garlic Aioli (in full disclosure the semi-homemade kind, as sacrilegious that may seem to some of you) at a recent birthday party dinner, it garnered all of the oohs and ahhs I (secretly) hoped it would.
The Roasted Panko Crusted Shrimp can be served hot out of the oven, warm or at room temperature. However, when I made them they didn't last long enough to get to room temperature. I don't even recall there being any leftovers and there were only five of us. While this made for am absolutely great appetizer, it could also be served as a main dish with some pasta and a salad. For the moment I am keeping it as an appetizer as it made for a memorable prelude to the dinner that followed.
For this appetizer to have that certain wow factor, you will definitely want to use any of the Colossal shrimp varieties (10 to 15 shrimp per pound). Depending on whose chart you look at, did you know there are 10 or 11 different sizes to shrimp ranging from extra small (61/70 pieces per pound) to Extra Colossal (10 pieces per pound)? The shrimp likely to be found on a platter at a gathering range from Large (31/35 pieces per pound) to Extra Large (26/30 pieces per pound) to Jumbo (21/25 pieces per pound). Not to make things more complicated but the names for the various shrimp sizes will vary, so it is best to look at the shrimp count per pound when buying them. In the case of these Roasted Panko Crusted Shrimp, size matters.
Whether you are lucky enough to live near a source of fresh (not frozen) shrimp or have to rely on the frozen shrimp from a grocery store or seafood market, you will want to devein, peel two and butterfly (2) pounds of shrimp (leaving the tails on).
The fresh (or thawed) deveined/peeled/butterflied shrimp should be dried before putting in a bowl. Depending on your affection for garlic, mince either two or three cloves, toss in with the shrimp and marinate in the refrigerator for 30 to 60 minutes. If you love garlic, longer is better.
As I was reading through roasted shrimp recipes most called for some sort of dried seasoning or herb added to the flour mixture. Whether I had one of those forgetful moments or not, I brought home a 'fresh' and not dried herb (thyme) from the grocery store. This is where in this recipe creation process where I made what I will call a mistake. Fortunately it turned out to be one with a favorable outcome. The 1 1/2 teaspoons of freshly chopped thyme added to the flour, salt and pepper mixture turned out to give the right amount of flavor to the roasted shrimp. But I don't know if fresh or dried thyme is a real deal breaker when making this recipe. If for some reason you can't find fresh thyme, use 1/2 teaspoon of dried thyme (fresh herb quantities are three times the amount of dry herbs).
This is a three step dipping process recipe. The shrimp are dipped first in a seasoned flour mixture, second in the egg white/milk mixture and finally in the panko crumbs. When placing the dipped shrimp on an aluminum foil or a parchment paper lined baking sheet lightly sprayed with oil give each shrimp a little bit of breathing room.
Place the baking sheet in a preheated 400 degree oven and bake for up to 18-20 minutes. I checked the shrimp at 16 minutes and then again in 2 minute intervals to make certain I wasn't overcooking them. While the suggested baking time is 18-20 minutes, it is probably a good idea to begin checking the shrimp at 16 minutes.The shrimp are done when they are pink in color and firm to the touch.
The Roasted Panko Crusted Shrimp are sinfully delicious all on their own, but served with side of either homemade or semi-made garlic aioli takes them to an even higher level of sinful deliciousness. You can make your own semi-homemade version of garlic aioli, so try to resist the temptation to buy the pre-made jar versions.
Recipe
Roasted Panko Crusted Shrimp with Garlic Aioli
Ingredients
Shrimp
2 pounds colossal shrimp (10-14 shrimp per pound), thawed, peeled, butterflied, tails on
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly chopped thyme
1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 egg whites
1 Tablespoon whole milk
1 to 1 1/2 cups Panko bread crumbs
3/4 cup mayonnaise (recommend Hellman's)
2-3 cloves minced garlic
Directions
Shrimp
1. Rinse and dry shrimp. Marinate shrimp with minced garlic for 30 to 60 minutes.
2. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper and lightly spray with oil. Set aside.
3. Mix together the flour, thyme, salt and pepper in small bowl. Set aside.
4. Mix together egg whites and milk in small bowl. Set aside.
5. Spread panko bread crumbs on a shallow bowl or large plate.
6. Dip shrimp first in flour mixture, second in egg mixture and last in panko bread crumbs ensuring the shrimp are completely coated in crumbs. Place each shrimp on prepared baking sheet. Note: You can prepare the shrimp several hours in advance up to this point, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to bake.
7. In a preheated 400 degree oven bake shrimp for 18-20 minutes until shrimp are done. Remove from oven and arrange on platter. Can be served hot from the oven, warm or at room temperature.
Garlic Aioli
1. Mix together mayonnaise and garlic. Refrigerate for several hours to allow the flavors to come together.
