This recipe is one of those dishes that exemplify communal eating; friends gathered around the table and enjoying what’s become a staple at our cottage, thanks to Simon’s partner Marc who developed this recipe. Full disclosure: there isn’t an elegant way to eat these, but a delicious experience recompenses any mess of saucy drips or spice-tinged fingertips. To keep your fingers clean, peel the shrimp before cooking. We love this served with a simple green salad or french green beans.
Serves 4 to 6
2 pounds (16-20 count) raw shrimp
1 pound mini potatoes (or 3 large white potatoes, roughly chopped into 2” pieces)
¼ cup (half-stick) unsalted butter
¼ cup olive oil (regular is fine, doesn’t have to be extra virgin)
2 tablespoons minced garlic (6 cloves)
1 large lemon
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Preheat your oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Pat dry the raw shrimp and add them to a large bowl.
- Heat a large pot of water for the potatoes and, when it’s boiling, add a tablespoon of salt and then, when it’s boiling again, the potatoes. Cook for 4 minutes and drain. Add the potatoes to a roasting tin and gently press so that the skin of the potatoes split open (this will allow them to be infused with the sauce as they bake).
- In a small pot, melt the butter into the oil over low heat. Add the garlic, cayenne, smoked paprika, red pepper flakes, Cajun seasoning, salt and pepper, and cook over low heat for five minutes. Off the heat, zest the lemon into the spiced butter mixture.
- Pour this mixture over the shrimp. Add the spring onions and toss everything together to coat thoroughly.
- Pour the sauced-up shrimp over the potatoes and bake for 20 minutes. After 10 minutes, give the tin a shimmy shake and ensure the shrimp are cooking evenly.
- Remove from the oven and snip over some fresh parsley, slice the zested lemon in half and spritz over the hot shrimp before serving.
Recipe shared by Marc Duhamel (Buckhorn, Ontario)
