Cilantro Lime Shrimp

Cilantro Lime Shrimp - made August 14, 2017 from Rasa Malaysia

My favorite flavor combination for seafood is lime and cilantro. I first discovered it when my uncle, an avid fisherman, grilled a 10-lb trout he had caught and seasoned/stuffed it with this lime and cilantro combination that was to die for. Seriously.

Prior to this revelation, for savory foods, I liked a soy sauce, honey and lemon mixture to marinate and cook seafood in. But that got booted in favor of the lime-cilantro flavor profile.

I couldn’t find limes at the farmers’ market (they only had lemons) but I did score a bunch of cilantro there. I bought several limes the next day to make for this quick and easy shrimp stir fry. It was delicious. I know a lot of people don’t care for cilantro and without the lime, I’m agnostic about it. But add the lime? I’m there.

1 pound jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/4 teaspoon salt
big pinch of cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 tablespoons lime juice
fresh lime wedges

1. Season the shrimp with salt and cayenne pepper.
2. Heat a cast-iron skillet, add the olive oil and garlic; saute lightly before adding the shrimp. Stir and cook until the shrimp is half-cooked. Add the cilantro and butter; stir to combine well with the shrimp.
3. Add the lime juice and continue to cook the shrimp. Turn off the heat when the lime juice dries up and the shrimp is cooked. Serve immediately with fresh lime wedges.