The Simplest and Best Shrimp Dish
A Bittman classic that has more than earned its title.
Excuse the superlatives; this spin on a spicy Spanish tapa remains my favorite, and everyone I serve it to loves it too. It’s good with bread, over rice, tossed with pasta, or stuffed into tacos. Other seafood you can use: similar-sized scallops (or larger, though they’ll take longer to cook).
Recipe courtesy of How To Cook Everything by Mark Bittman.
Recipe Variations:
- Smoky Shrimp: Use smoked paprika instead of some or all of the hot paprika.
- Shrimp Scampi: Substitute butter for half the oil. In Step 2, omit the cumin and paprika; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Don’t disturb the shrimp until they sear on one side; then shake the pan. When they’re done, stir in 2 tablespoons each lemon juice and dry sherry, white wine, or water, and 1⁄4 cup chopped fresh parsley.
- Crispy Garlic Shrimp: Before adding the shrimp to the oil, lightly dredge shrimp in 1 cup rice flour or all-purpose flour. Substitute the paprika and cumin with cayenne or chili powder. Cook shrimp in batches until golden and crisp, about 2 minutes per side.
The Simplest and Best Shrimp Dish
A Bittman classic that has more than earned its title.
Mark Bittman
Put the olive oil in a large Carbon Steel or Stainless Clad Frying Pan over low heat. There should be enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan by about ⅛ inch; don’t skimp. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until it turns golden, a few minutes.
Raise the heat to medium-high and add the shrimp, paprika, cumin, and salt and pepper. Stir to combine and continue to cook, shaking the pan to turn the shrimp once or twice, until they’re just opaque at the center and the mixture is bubbly, 3–5 minutes. Garnish with the parsley and serve hot or at room temperature.
Mark Bittman is the author of more than 30 acclaimed books, including the How to Cook Everything series and the #1 New York Times bestseller VB6: Eat Vegan Before 6:00 to Lose Weight and Restore Your Health . . . for Good. Over his long career at The New York Times, Bittman wrote for both the food and opinion pages, and was the lead Magazine food writer. He has received six James Beard Awards, four IACP Awards, and numerous other honors. Together with daughter Kate Bittman, he has hosted the podcast Food with Mark Bittman since 2021.
Bittman is currently special advisor on food policy at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, where he teaches and hosts a lecture series. His most recent books beyond the How to Cook Everything Series are How to Eat; Animal, Vegetable, Junk; and Bittman Bread. If you're hungry for more from Mark, catch him at The Bittman Project.
