Shrimp Scampi

Method

1. season4 min
   shrimp patted very dry, salted, left on paper while the pan heats
   shrimp + half the salt. Dry them harder than seems necessary — shrimp hold a surprising amount of surface water and it is the reason most home versions come out pale and boiled rather than seared
2. boil9 min
   well salted, to 1 minute short of the packet, a cup of water reserved
   pasta, keeping a cup of the water. Start this before the shrimp: the pasta can wait a minute in a colander, and the shrimp cannot wait at all
3. sear3 min
   olive oil, high heat, single uncrowded layer, 60-75 seconds a side
   shrimp seared until just opaque and pink at the edges, then removed to a plate immediately. They will finish in the sauce. Shrimp protein sets fast and keeps contracting — the visible tell is shape, since a properly cooked shrimp curls into a loose C and an overcooked one closes into a tight O
4. saute3 min
   heat to medium-low, sliced garlic in the same pan
   + garlic (+ shallots) + chilli flakes, cooked until the slices are pale gold and fragrant, no darker. Lower the heat before the garlic goes in — the pan is still at searing temperature and sliced garlic burns in seconds, and burnt garlic will define the finished dish
5. reduce4 min
   wine in, scraped, simmered until reduced by about two thirds
   + white wine, reduced until syrupy and the raw alcohol smell is gone. Reduction is doing two jobs: concentrating flavour, and removing the water that would otherwise stop the butter from emulsifying into a sauce
6. emulsify3 min
   off the heat, cold butter a cube at a time, swirled constantly
   + cold cubed butter + lemon juice + a splash of pasta water, swirled until the sauce turns opaque and thickens. Cold butter added off the heat emulsifies — the milk proteins and phospholipids hold the fat dispersed in the wine and starch. Melted butter or a boiling pan gives you a broken sauce with oil floating on acid
7. fold2 min
   pasta and shrimp returned, tossed off the heat
   + pasta + shrimp + parsley (+ lemon zest, + pepper, + parmesan), tossed until coated and served at once. The shrimp get about thirty seconds of residual heat, which is all they need to finish. Loosen with pasta water — it will keep tightening on the way to the table