Salt Roasted Shrimp With Scampi Dip

This is a dinner party trick that looks far more impressive than it is. Four pounds of rock salt spread across a baking dish becomes the cooking platform. Unpeeled shrimp lay directly on top, then blast into a 500°F (260°C) oven for 6 or 7 minutes until the shells turn pink and the meat goes just-opaque. The salt conducts heat evenly and gently seasons the shrimp through their shells without over-salting.

While the shrimp roast, the scampi sauce comes together on the stove. Dry white wine, fresh lemon juice, and minced garlic reduce to a syrupy tablespoon, then cold butter gets whisked in a few pieces at a time until the sauce emulsifies into silky, buttery beurre blanc. Chopped Italian parsley stirs in at the end for color and brightness.

Transfer the warm dip to a bowl and tuck it right into the hot salt bed alongside the shrimp for a dramatic presentation. Guests peel their own shrimp and dunk them into the sauce.

Chef Tips

• Leave the shells on. The shells protect the shrimp from drying out and add flavor as they roast. Peel-and-eat is part of the fun.
• Reduce the wine mixture all the way to just one tablespoon. Under-reduced means a thin, broken sauce.
• Whisk butter in off the heat, returning to low flame only as needed. Boiling the sauce breaks the emulsion and you end up with oily puddles.
• The salt bed can be reused. Once cool, store the rock salt in a jar for the next batch or for other salt-roasted dishes.

Variations

• Add a pinch of red pepper flakes to the sauce for a little heat.
• Swap parsley for chopped chives or tarragon for a different herbal profile.
• Serve alongside crusty bread for soaking up every last drop of the sauce.