Roast Shrimp with Garlic and Thyme

I get a lot of emails from readers asking about the easiest way of cooking shrimp.  I usually sautee it after marinating it for fifteen minutes or so using this concoction that I came up with a few years ago but I know a lot of people are reluctant to pan fry so I went in search of a super simple method.

The biggest worry most people have is overcooking the shrimp and ending up with a rubbery mess and given the price of shrimp who can blame them.  I’ve mentioned this before but it’s worth repeating – unless you live close to the seashore, I would suggest buying your shrimp frozen.  Most brands flash freeze on the boat so what you are getting is as good or better than the fresh shrimp they are selling at your seafood counter.  I always have a couple bags of frozen shrimp handy and last week they were on sale for $6.99/lb – half price!  I was filling up my cart at that price.

This roasting method is fool proof even if you are a beginner cook.  You simply put your olive oil and thyme into a shallow roasting pan and put it into an unheated oven turning it to 450 degrees.  After 20 minutes, add the shrimp and cook for 8-10 minutes depending on the size of the shrimp, tossing gently two or three times.

I found this recipe at WebMD and I have to say I was very pleased with the results.  They suggest adding balsamic vinegar before serving but I would leave that up to the guests.  I added more garlic, omitted the salt but added fresh ground pepper over the finished product and they were so juicy and crunchy.

I liked this recipe so much that I will be cooking my shrimp using this method much more often than sautéeing.  You could use a variety of herbs as well – rosemary would be fabulous.

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