Hawaii-Style Garlic Shrimp Recipe From ‘The Domestic Man'

Every week, we’re spotlighting a different food blogger who’s shaking up the blogosphere with tempting recipes and knockout photography. Below, Russ Crandall of The Domestic Man shares a buttery shrimp dish packed with more than 50 cloves of garlic.

Garlic Shrimp (Hawaii Style)
Serves 4

I spent most of my 20s in Hawaii, and regularly made trips to Giovanni’s Shrimp Truck in Kahuku to enjoy its signature dish: garlic shrimp. The shrimp is pan-fried in an aromatic scampi sauce, and served with a cubic ton of garlic. I have regularly tackled this dish since moving to the mainland in 2008, but it wasn’t until last year that I really figured out how to recreate it at home.

My process includes marinating and par-cooking the shrimp in butter, then reducing the marinating liquid and garlic until the latter is crispy, then finally returning the shrimp to the pan to finish everything off.

In order to prevent the butter from burning, I use clarified butter (or ghee), which has a higher smoke point than butter. Also, by using tail-on (or even shelled) shrimp, the marinating liquid better penetrates the shrimp, making for a more flavorful (and less messy) experience.

For clarification (no pun intended), there is a difference between clarified butter and ghee, although the two are often confused. Clarified butter is butter with its milk solids removed. Ghee, on the other hand, is made when butter’s milk solids are allowed to fall to the bottom of the pan and brown as the butter simmers. Ghee has a more toasted flavor than clarified butter.

2 lbs raw shrimp (peeled or tail-on preferred)
About 50 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup white wine
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
3 tbsp clarified butter (or ghee)
2 tsp lemon juice
Lemon wedges to serve

1. Combine the shrimp, garlic, wine, olive oil, salt, and pepper in a resealable plastic bag. Place in the fridge to marinate for 2 hours.

2. In a wok or skillet, add the clarified butter and melt it over medium heat. Strain out the liquid from the marinade and add the liquid to the butter; bring to a simmer. Add and cook the shrimp, in batches, until mostly cooked through (mostly pink and opaque). Fish out the shrimp with tongs (be careful not to remove the garlic) and set aside in a colander that’s placed over a bowl (to keep the shrimp from getting soggy). Repeat this process until all of the shrimp are partially cooked. You should have a bunch of liquid and garlic left in your wok/skillet at this point.

3. Increase the temperature to high, and reduce the sauce until the liquid evaporates and the garlic becomes golden brown and crispy, stirring constantly so as to not scorch the garlic, about 15 minutes total. This part takes patience; trust the process. You’ll know the garlic is ready when it’s crispy and when the oil starts to accumulate at the top of the liquid.

4. Return the shrimp to the wok/skillet and stir-fry, tossing often, until fully cooked, about 2 minutes. Squeeze on a bit of lemon juice, serve over rice and with lemon wedges.

More seafood-packed dishes:

A spicy coconut mussels recipe

A grilled shrimp salad recipe from ‘Caribbean Potluck’

Bay scallops with, yes, bacon-maple vinaigrette

What’s your favorite kind of seafood? Tell us below!