Cheesecake Factory Shrimp Scampi

sirgat's Note:

This recipe is a decent clone of my favorite Shrimp Scampi meal.

• Total Time: 44 mins
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 29 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

• 1 -2 lb fresh shrimp, cleaned and deveined, and butterflied
• 1 lb angel hair pasta
• 1 diced tomato
• 6 -8 whole garlic cloves
• 1 shallot, diced
• 1 pint heavy cream
• 1 cup dry white wine
• olive oil
• 5 -7 leaves fresh basil
• 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese, finely grated
• parsley

For the shrimp

• milk
• 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese, finely grated
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions:

1. Pour enough olive oil in a large sauce pan to cover the bottom, turn to medium high heat. This is the only pot you'll need for the sauce so it should be big. Soak the shrimp in milk and combine the dry ingredients (flour, 2T cheese, salt, pepper). Coat the shrimp with the dry ingredients and let them fry in the olive oil, About 2 minutes per side until golden brown. The Flour that falls off the shrimp will add great flavor and consistency to the sauce. Add more oil as necessary, between batches of shrimp. Dab the shrimp with a paper towel, cover and set aside on range top to keep warm.
2. Add the garlic to the oil, stir for a few minutes, then turn the heat to medium low. Now add the wine and bring it to a boil. Then turn the heat to low and cover, let the wine reduce, about 10-15 minutes.
3. In a separate pot, bring water to simmer. (for pasta later).
4. Add the cream, and bring it back to a boil, turn heat to low and simmer for 10 more minutes. While it is simmering dice your shallot and tomato, and chiffonade your basil. Now add the Basil, diced tomato, and remaining 2T Parmesan cheese. Stir for a moment then add the fried shrimp, and remove the pan from heat. The sauce will thicken as it cools.
5. Bring pasta pot to a boil and add angel hair and cook.
6. To plate, pour some sauce on a dish and arrange the shrimp around the bottom (10 or so), then take a ball of the pasta and plate that above the shrimp. garnish with a little parsley.

Reviews

[Burned BoS]

This recipe does a very good job recreating one of my favorite recipes.

The only problems I've found are:
1) How much parmesan do you use? It is mentioned in steps 1 and 4. I used 2 teaspoons for each step and it seemed fine.

2) Where and how is the shallot used? I diced mined and added the whole thing to step 4.

3) Watch how much oil you use for step one. I put about 3/8" into the bottom of a 12" saute pan, and that proved to be too much. 1/4" would have been much better.

4) After pulling the shrimp out of the oil, roll them on a paper towel and then layer them on wax paper in a bowl on the range top. I used both of the left burners, and put my bowl of shrimp in the middle of the rangetop and the heat form the other burners kept the shrimp at eating temp. This keeps them from sticking to the PT, and should allow you to add them later in step 4 so that they get some of the sauce, but don't lose that Cheesecake Factory crispiness.

UPDATE:
After making this a dozen times (this and Jakes Etouffee are my favorite recipes) I've posted a few improvements. The recipe doesn't call for it but add the shallot with the tomato and Parmesan to the sauce. More importantly, I doubled the amount of dry ingredients for covering the shrimp. As you toss them in the flour mixture and set them aside they become damp looking again. When you finish coating them, toss them a second time. This results in very nicely crispy shrimp and helps retain the Parmesan and pepper flavors in the batter.

[Aminah.S]

Delicious! Recently went to Miami and really enjoyed this at CF. Was so surprised when this recipe came out tasting very much like it. I made a few minor changes. I replaced the white wine with vegtetable stock and added fresh mushrooms to the sauce as well as some parsley and thyme.. this one is definately a keeper!

[Chef #1289056]

Very disappointing. Not close to the cf recipe.