Shrimp au gratin

Shrimp au gratin is a simple but very tasty dish, perfect for an elegant seafood appetizer or a refined main course. Here is an Italian twist on the dish:

Ingredients

• 500 g of fresh shrimp
• 100 g of breadcrumbs
• 2 cloves of garlic
• Fresh parsley to taste
• 30 g of grated Parmesan cheese
• Extra virgin olive oil to taste
• Salt to taste
• Pepper to taste

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 200 °C.
2. Clean the shrimp by removing the shell and intestinal tract but leaving the tail. Wash the shrimp and pat them dry gently.
3. In a bowl, mix the breadcrumbs with finely chopped garlic, chopped fresh parsley, grated Parmesan cheese, a pinch of salt, and pepper. Add plenty of extra virgin olive oil to get a moist mixture that can stick well to the shrimp.
4. Arrange the shrimp on a baking tray lined with parchment paper with the tail facing up.
5. Spread a generous amount of the breadcrumb mixture over each shrimp, pressing lightly to make it adhere.
6. Drizzle the au gratin shrimp with a stream of extra virgin olive oil and bake for about 10-15 minutes, or until the breadcrumbs are golden brown and crispy.
7. Remove from the oven and serve the shrimp au gratin hot, garnished with a sprig of fresh parsley for a touch of color.

Curiosity

Au gratin is a culinary technique that involves browning the surface of a dish, often used to give crunchiness to dishes covered with bread, cheese, or béchamel. The term “gratin” comes from the French “gratter,” meaning to scrape, referring to the act of scraping the crust formed on the surface of the dish during cooking.