Saucy, spicy shrimp paired with a cold beer or margarita is a simple summertime meal that’s best enjoyed outside with lots of napkins. To make this weeknight-easy dish of “drunken” shrimp, we gently simmer them with tequila and a garlic-infused combination of butter and olive oil, for a flavor-packed meal that comes together in just over half an hour. Though head-on shrimp typically are used, in this recipe from our cookbook “ Milk Street 365: The All-Purpose Cookbook for Every Day of the Year,” we use the more easily sourced head-off shrimp and devein them before cooking.
You can remove the shells or leave them on, as is our preference; they contain loads of umami-heavy shrimp flavor and do an excellent job of trapping the sauce. And while the flavor in this dish may be bold, the cooking method is gentle. Even the largest shrimp are small and lean compared to other proteins, and aggressive cooking does them no favors.
Chicken thighs, marbled steaks and even fatty salmon are far more forgiving, as fat protects meat from overcooking, keeping cuts tender and juicy. Shrimp have no such protection. To infuse the dish with flavor without overcooking, the shrimp are gently poached in a spicy, garlicky combination of melted butter, olive oil and tequila, along with a little water to temper the bite of the spirit.
If using frozen shrimp, transfer them from the freezer to the fridge the day before you want to cook them and let them slowly thaw for the best texture. If you ne.
