A Crock of Tiny Brains Recipe
Did you ever notice that when shrimp are cooked (without tails or shells) they resemble tiny brains. When I saw a recipe for slow cooker shrimp scampi in a cookbook I was reviewing, I knew this was a great dish to serve at my annual Halloween BOO-ffet. While the original recipe turned out quite well, I made a few changes to make it a little spicier, and added butter to make it taste more like the scampi that my family loves. A Crock of Tiny Brains is perfect to serve at Halloween. It’s also a good and easy dish to serve throughout the year (call it shrimp scampi) over pasta or rice with crusty bread. For the BOO-ffet it is served with scary toothpicks as an appetizer.
Remember that modern slow cookers cook at higher temperatures than the original ones (low is the old high and warm is the old low), so plan accordingly. You don’t want to overcook these delicious (and expensive!) shrimp. The key is to check on them often and stir them so all of them get coated with the yummy sauce. At the BOO-ffet table, I watch the pot and occasionally turn it off so that the shrimp stay perfect. Depending on the temperature of your slow cooker, these shrimp take only one to one and a half hours, so they can actually be done on a weeknight. If you have a small group, the ingredients can easily be halved.
24 Servings (as an appetizer)
4 pounds large shrimp, (31-40 per pound) peeled, deveined, and tails removed
Sauce:
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup melted butter
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 head garlic, finely minced
1 tablespoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Amount Per Serving
Calories 116 Calories from Fat 48
Percent Total Calories From: Fat 42% Protein 55% Carb. 1%
Nutrient Amount per
Total Fat 5 g
Saturated Fat 2 g
Cholesterol 153 mg
Sodium 190 mg
Total Carbohydrate 0 g
Dietary Fiber 0 g
Sugars 0 g
Protein 16 g
Vitamin A 9% Vitamin C 3% Calcium 0% Iron 14%
Remember that modern slow cookers cook at higher temperatures than the original ones (low is the old high and warm is the old low), so plan accordingly. You don’t want to overcook these delicious (and expensive!) shrimp. The key is to check on them often and stir them so all of them get coated with the yummy sauce. At the BOO-ffet table, I watch the pot and occasionally turn it off so that the shrimp stay perfect. Depending on the temperature of your slow cooker, these shrimp take only one to one and a half hours, so they can actually be done on a weeknight. If you have a small group, the ingredients can easily be halved.
24 Servings (as an appetizer)
4 pounds large shrimp, (31-40 per pound) peeled, deveined, and tails removed
Sauce:
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup melted butter
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 head garlic, finely minced
1 tablespoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- Arrange the shrimp in a 3-4 quart slow cooker.
- Whizz the sauce ingredients in a bullet blender, or whisk thoroughly.
- Pour over the shrimp.
- Sprinkle with parsley.
- Cover, set the slow cooker to low, and let cook 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until just pink, stirring at least once during cooking.
Amount Per Serving
Calories 116 Calories from Fat 48
Percent Total Calories From: Fat 42% Protein 55% Carb. 1%
Nutrient Amount per
Total Fat 5 g
Saturated Fat 2 g
Cholesterol 153 mg
Sodium 190 mg
Total Carbohydrate 0 g
Dietary Fiber 0 g
Sugars 0 g
Protein 16 g
Vitamin A 9% Vitamin C 3% Calcium 0% Iron 14%
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This content was written by Karen Hancock. If you wish to use this content in any manner, you need written permission. Contact Karen Hancock for details.
