Lazy Baked Shrimp

Succulent shrimp seasoned with a rosemary/thyme infusion of olive oil. And it's easy!

You know the feeling. You want something good for dinner. But you don't want a lot of prep. And you especially don't want a mess to clean up. That's how I felt when I made this dish. I was going to have it with a side of rice, but even that was too complicated for the mood I was in. I boiled some garlic/parsley dried pasta, instead. Perfect. 

This recipe gave me a reason to begin using my fresh herbs before they're hit by frost. And I was (finally) able to use my old Fire King, 10" x 6" ecru dish I bought at a flea market. It was the perfect size. I purchased two pounds of frozen shrimp on sale for five dollars!!! They were smaller than I would have liked, but they worked out just fine. The herbs were free! So, all-in-all, this was pretty inexpensive but elegant fare. Serve with a cold, white wine, and a bit of bread to sop up the extra oil.

This makes for a great appetizer. Place several on a plate with crusty piece of bread and lemon wedge.

• 3/4 lb. fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 3 fresh rosemary sprigs
• 2-3 sprigs fresh thyme
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Fresh-ground black pepper
• Red pepper flakes--just a pinch (optional)
• Kosher salt
• Fresh lemon

Place all ingredients but the shrimp, salt and lemon in a baking dish. Turn to coat the rosemary. Roast for about 10 minutes in a 400 F. degree oven. About halfway, turn the herbs.

My rosemary sprigs were the last of the season and pretty sparse.
 I should have added a bit more.

Remove dish from oven. The oil will have absorbed the essence of the herbs. Add shrimp in an even layer.

Return dish to oven and bake for about 10 minutes or so, depending on size of shrimp, turning once halfway through the cooking process. (Once shrimp begin to turn pink and coral, they're pretty much done, so don't overcook.)

Remove from oven. Sprinkle with salt and squeeze some lemon juice over it. Give it a stir.

Serve with a side of pasta/Parmesan, being sure to drizzle the flavorful oil over all.

Beautiful!

Notes: Next time I'll use a bit more olive oil because I really loved the taste of the herb-infused oil. I wasn't crazy about the little pieces of rosemary left behind, but that's just part of the recipe and my own peccadillo. I was really, really, really tempted to add garlic to this dish. But I'm glad I didn't. It may have overpowered the subtle rosemary/thyme-infused oil.