This dish can be used as an appetizer or as a side dish to steak for “surf and turf”. Double the recipe because I am positive these will disappear really fast. (Especially if our friend Andre is around! No shrimp is safe then!) You can use freshly made bread crumbs but most of us don’t have the time to do that these days, so I recommend using Italian flavored Panko breadcrumbs. They crisp up better and have a really great flavor also. This can be served hot or at room temperature.

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup Italian flavored Panko bread crumbs

1/3 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

4 large garlic cloves, finely chopped

About ¼ cup olive oil

1½ pounds large shrimp, shelled and deveined (tails left on)

2 large lemons, cut into wedges

salt and freshly ground pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 450ºF. Oil a large baking pan.

2. In a medium bowl, combine the bread crumbs, parsley, garlic, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir in ¼ cup olive oil, or just enough to moisten the crumbs.

3. Arrange the shrimp in the pan in a single layer, curling each shrimp into a circle. Spoon a little of the bread crumb mixture onto each shrimp.

4. Bake until the crumbs are browned and the shrimp are cooked through when cut in the thickest part, about 10 minutes.

Serve hot or at room temperature, with the lemon wedges.

Serves 6