Baked Stuffed Shrimp

The use of olive oil and Italian bread gives this recipe an Italian twist. Some recipes prefer to use butter and buttery cracker crumbs, sometimes adding Old Bay Seasoning (Maryland flavor) or paprika.

FMM: We liked this a lot. The shrimp were nice and light - great for an appetizer. We added Ritz crackers along with the bread crumbs and added green onion to the mixture. We did not cook the onion first. We baked them at 400° F. for about 15 minutes. They were cooked perfectly. Serve with lemon wedges on the side.

12 jumbo shrimp shelled and deveined
3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil [could also use butter]
1 cup coarse bread crumbs from day old Italian Bread (most recipes call for dry bread crumbs or buttery cracker crumbs, such as Ritz)
1 garlic clove, crushed through a press
1 tablespoon finely chopped Italian parsley
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (or serve lemon wedges on the side)
Chopped fresh parsley
Melted butter for dipping

1. Remove the shell from the shrimp, leaving the tail section intact. Hold the shrimp in your hand with the inside of the curve facing down. Make a shallow cut with a paring knife down the back of the shrimp. Use the tip of the knife or a toothpick to remove the vein. Then, flip the shrimp, so the inside of the curve is facing up. Use a sharp knife to cut a 1/2" deep pocket in inner curved side of shrimp from tail along center, leaving 1/2" at end. Do not cut through back of shrimp. Use finger to widen pocket. You should now be able to flatten the shrimp with the tail pointing up. Repeat with the remaining shrimp.

Spray a baking pan with olive oil cooking spray. Arrange shrimp on the pan.

2. In a small skillet or pan add the butter and melt over medium heat. Add the 1 tablespoon of parsley, the garlic and lemon zest; cook, stirring, 1 minute. Remove from heat. Add the bread crumbs.

[This mixture is too loose to squeeze together and place inside the shrimp. (I modified the instructions since then to include instructions for flattening the shrimp. The recipe may need further revision.) I'm not sure how Brian handled this when we made them before. I added some water, enough so I could sort of compress it together, but it still fell apart when trying to place it in the shrimp. Perhaps I did not have enough butter mixed in. Maybe adding an egg and some wine would help, or just use fresh bread crumbs that you can still squeeze together - just mix them with some melted butter. I also was not using the biggest shrimp; I thought I could maybe make them with 21 - 26 per pound size. That was definitely one problem.]

3. Preheat oven to 450° F. [We used 400° F. and they came out perfectly.] Carefully pack the bread mixture into opening in each shrimp, dividing evenly. It may be helpful to place a portion of the stuffing mixture in hand and lightly squeeze to mold. Place in shrimp pocket and distribute to fill. Brush or drizzle each shrimp with the remaining oil [or butter]. Bake until shrimp are cooked through, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with lemon juice before serving, or serve lemon wedges on the side.

Serves: 4

Another Filling Recipe
from https://foodfolksandfun.net/

2 large garlic cloves minced
1 small shallot minced
1 Tablespoon butter
35 Ritz crackers 1 sleeve, crushed into small crumbs
4 Tablespoons salted butter melted
1/4 cup sherry wine
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Lemon wedges, for serving
Melted butter for dipping

They set the oven to 375° F.

Make the Stuffing : In a small skillet or pan add the butter and melt over medium heat. Add in the shallot and saute, stirring frequently, until softened and the edges begin to turn light brown, about 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30-60 seconds.

In a medium bowl, add the shallot, crushed Ritz crackers, melted butter, sherry wine, and pepper. Stir until combined.