Large Shrimp, Amalfi Style

One of the most beloved vacation destinations in Italy is the Amalfi coast: breathtakingly beautiful with jagged cliffs, the bluest water, the most stupendous lemon trees and a coastline whose roads are a challenge for even an Indy 500 driver. But I come for the fish: tender baby squid, sweet clams, grilled San Pietro and, of course, the gamberoni (large shrimp). When I am home, I prepare them Amalfitana style and am transported back to that heavenly paradise that only divine intervention could have invented.

Ingredients:

20 large shrimp
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large clove garlic, minced
2 anchovies in olive oil, chopped
1 teaspoon hot red-pepper flakes
5 large fresh plum tomatoes, seeded and diced
1½ cups dry white wine
¼ cup minced parsley
Salt, to taste

Directions:

1. Remove the shrimp heads, shell and intestinal tract. (Use a small knife to make a slit along
the curved side of each shrimp, and use the tip of the knife to scrape out the intestine.) Rinse
the shrimp well and set aside.

2. In a large sauté pan, add the oil and heat it over medium heat. Stir in the garlic, anchovies and red-pepper flakes. Cook, stirring with a wooden spoon until the anchovies dissolve in the oil.

3. Add the shrimp, tomatoes and wine. Cook covered over low heat for 15 minutes, or just until the shrimp are opaque and cooked through. Do not overcook the shrimp, or they will be too tough. Stir in the parsley. Season to taste with salt.

4. Serve in bowls, and accompany with slices of good bread to mop up the juices.