Brown Butter & Thai Basil Garlic Shrimp – a spin on the regular garlic shrimp we all know & love. In this recipe the butter is browned until it develops & deep, nutty flavor with a hint of chili added & the Thai basil leaves elevating it to something quite spectacular.
This is one of those recipes you can come home & throw together in 10 minutes, stick the pan in the middle of the table & let everyone dig in & help themselves. It’s ridiculously simple. And boldly flavored.
When you use one or two boldly flavored ingredients in a recipe, such as Thai basil & garlic, then you don’t need to crowd the recipe with superfluous ingredients – saving on time, & money.
My husband & I devoured these Brown Butter & Thai Basil Garlic Shrimp for dinner last night with a cucumber, pineapple & herb salad drizzled with a nuoc mam-style dressing. To say it was good is an understatement. It was one of those meals that you could just keep on eating & eating. And eating. And seriously, the whole meal took under 30 minutes to prep & cook. This Mango, Grapefruit & Toasted Coconut Salad would be completely amazing with these shrimp. Just crack open a bottle of your favorite white vino & dinner is done. If you’re having company over then maybe serve a cheese board with some fresh & dried fruit & nuts.
I’m all about keeping things simple these days. How about you? I’m simplifying my diet, my home, finances & relationships. I believe we can make life as simple or as complicated as we want. The choice is yours. Starting in the kitchen is the easiest place for me. Toodles, chat to you soon,
- 5 tablespoons butter
- 30 (about 24 oz/680g) jumbo peeled & deveined raw shrimp (prawns)
- 4 fat garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper (chilli flakes)
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon honey, optional
- 1/2 cup Thai basil leaves
- Melt butter in a wok or frying pan with a heavy bottom over medium heat. Cook for a few minutes until the butter turns deep, golden brown. Increase the heat to high.
- Pat shrimp dry with a paper towel & add to the wok or pan. Cook, stirring occasionally for 2 to 3 minutes or until shrimp are just starting to change color.
- Add garlic & cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add crushed red pepper, fish sauce, soy sauce & honey. Stir until shrimp are coated.
- Add the basil & stir until basil is wilted & shrimp are just cooked. Serves 3 to 4.