phyllo wrapped shrimp
I was asked to bring the appetizer to a New Year’s dinner, and the hosts proposed a Mediterranean-themed menu. In the past I’ve had success with shrimp, marinated in olive oil and lemon, and I thought I could adapt this idea, but dress it up a little by wrapping the shrimp in phyllo. The recipe (such as it was) worked out really well, so here it is:
- 1, 1lb package phyllo leaves (about 20, 13″ x 18″ leaves)
- 30 large raw, peeled shrimp (about 20 count to a lb, or 1 1/2 lb total)
- 2 lemons
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 4 or 5 large cloves garlic, minced
- a cup or more of cilantro leaves (measured before chopping), picked over, cleaned, and minced
- a couple of dried hot peppers, or pepper flakes or pepper oil to taste
- 2 sticks of butter
- 1/4 lb crumbled feta
- salt
Prepare an herb spread by combining the zest of the lemons, about half the cilantro, and the feta cheese. Set aside for the assembly step (below).
Prepare a marinade for the shrimp by combining the juice of the lemons, olive oil, hot peppers, garlic, the rest of the cilantro, and a large pinch of salt.
Butterfly the shrimp & marinate for about 2 hours. It is easier to manage the shrimp if you keep the tail on until final assembly.
Melt the butter.
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
The phyllo will come in a roll. Cut it crosswise into 3 equal parts. Keep the phyllo from drying out by keeping the rolls in a plastic bag and the unrolled leaves under saran wrap, removing them only as you need them to make the shrimp wraps.
Assemble 2 wraps at a time, as follows: one strip of phyllo, butter, 2nd strip, butter, a tablespoon or two of the herb/cheese mixture, 3rd strip, butter, 4th strip, butter. Cut in half, yielding two rectangles about 4″x9″. Wrap one shrimp in each, sealing with a little more butter. (If you left the tails on during the marinade step, pinch them off now). Place on baking sheet.
Bake in 400 degree oven for 12 minutes. Remove and serve.