New Orleans Skillet Shrimp

This is one of those recipes that will depend on how many people you are feeding and how many shrimp you think those people will eat, to determine the number of shrimp you use. I usually think people can eat a dozen or so if this is your main dish, served with a nice green salad and of course French bread. But you might want to use more or less. It’s up to you. Just be sure you get the big shrimp and keep their shells on.

Put enough olive oil in your cast iron skillet to cover the bottom of the pan. On medium heat, add the smushed garlic and saute for a few minutes to flavor the oil. Add the shrimp and then sprinkle the black pepper and Italian Seasoning all over the shrimp. Then add the bay leaves. Stir gently for a minute and then add the white wine to almost cover the shrimp in the skillet. Toss in a pinch of salt and stir a few times to coat all the shrimp with everything in the skillet. Continue to cook until the shrimp are cooked all the way through. The wine will have cooked down by about half when the shrimp are done.

Remove the skillet from the heat and put it on the table for serving; give everyone a big green salad and a few slices of bread to dip into that wonderful juice (yes, right from the skillet!). Grab your shrimp, peel them and enjoy with your favorite glass of wine, or beer. Oh, and have lots of napkins handy—this can get deliciously messy!