A black plate with mashed potatoes topped with two pieces of chicken, garnished with toasted almond slices and chopped parsley, set on a light cloth with a fork nearby.

Categories

A smiling woman with long brown hair rests her hands on a cookbook titled Never Say Never to Dolce, which features her photo on the cover. A silver vase with orange flowers sits on the counter in front of her.

Cookbooks

Never Say Never to Dolce

A brand-new collection of 50 approachable homemade desserts – from iconic Cannoli to Dolci al Cucchiaio and more – that proves there’s always room for a little sweetness.

Manuela’s Sweet Temptations

A collection of 50 irresistible dessert recipes, from classic Italian treats to modern favorites—including gluten-free options.

The Complete Italian Cookbook: Essential Regional Cooking of Italy

A collection of 50 irresistible dessert recipes, from classic Italian treats to modern favorites—including gluten-free options.

Learn More
A black plate with mashed potatoes topped with two pieces of chicken, garnished with toasted almond slices and chopped parsley, set on a light cloth with a fork nearby.

Brown Butter Shrimp with Polenta

Crispy shrimp on top of soft and creamy polenta. All drizzled with a scrumptious almond and brown butter sauce

Print Recipe

This post is written in collaboration with Gorton’s Seafood. All opinions are mine. Thank you for your support! #Gorton’sShrimpAppetizers #ad

Here is a mouthwatering and easy-to-make shrimp appetizer recipe perfect for the upcoming holidays. 

I served it for dinner last night and my family absolutely loved it.
And what’s not to love about golden crispy shrimp, served with soft and creamy polenta, drizzled (… or drenched – up to you!) in a extra-flavorful brown butter sauce and topped with crunchy almonds?!? 

It is the perfect balance of nutty and creamy, salty and spicy.
And a sure (and easy!) way to impress your guests this holiday season.

Take a look! And tell me, how good does it look?!?
Trust me, it’s at least as scrumptious as it seems. You will agree once you try it too.
You can serve it as an appetizer (recipe serves 4). Or double up the serving (recipe serves 2) and you’re in for a tasty entree’.

The best part of this recipe, it’s quite easy to pull together and it will take no more than 30 minutes from start to finish.

To make things faster (and super yummy!) I used one of my freezer staples: Gorton’s Butterfly Shrimp. They are so versatile and delicious, that I always keep a box or two in the freezer. It comes super handy especially during busy cooking times like the holidays. It’s a good source of protein, rich in vitamins and minerals, non-GMO, and immunity boosting.
Now let’s talk polenta for a minute. I used instant polenta flour which only takes about 5 minutes to cook. But you can also use regular polenta flour. It will take about 30 to 40 minutes to cook but it’s well worth it!
No matter which flour you use, remember to keep the polenta warm (and creamy!) on the stove until ready to serve. It will harden as soon as it cools down.

To make the toasted almonds, I browned the butter with the almond slices. It only takes a few minutes, but – warning! – you will need to watch it closely. Once the butter starts to foam, it will take not time to go from clear to brown and then burnt. So watch for the color and remove from the heat as soon as it turns brown.

Strain the almonds in a mesh colander, saving the brown butter for your sauce. Lightly sprinkle the almonds with salt and set aside.
Use the brown butter to make the delicious sauce. Flavor with minced garlic, spicy peperoncino (Italian extra-hot dry peppers), lemon juice and capers (if you like). Plate the polenta with the shrimp, drizzle the sauce on top, sprinkle with almonds and fresh parsley and enjoy!
Buon appetito!

 

 

A black plate with mashed potatoes topped with two pieces of chicken, garnished with toasted almond slices and chopped parsley, set on a light cloth with a fork nearby.

Brown Butter Shrimp with Polenta

0, 0 rating(s)

Crispy shrimp on top of soft and creamy polenta. All drizzled with a scrumptious almond and brown butter sauce

Servings:

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time

10 min

Cook Time

15 min

Resting Time

Total Time

25 min

Ingredients

  • 12 Gorton’s Butterfly Shrimp
  • 1 cup instant polenta flour*
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 oz unsalted butter
  • 1/4 cup sliced almonds
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tablespoon capers, drained
  • 1 or 2 peperoncini
  • 1/4 cup chicken stock
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • chopped fresh parsley, to top

Instructions

  1. Cook the shrimp in your air fryer or oven, following the directions on the package.
  2. Make the polenta: In a medium pan, bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and oil. Gradually pour the polenta flour while mixing vigorously to break up all the clumps. Lower the heat and let the polenta simmer, stirring often so it won’t stick to the bottom. Cook for about 5 minutes if instant, or about 30 minutes it not, until it pulls away from the sides of the pan. Keep warm. Season with more salt (if needed), pepper and grated Parmesan cheese if you like.
  3. Make the toasted almond brown butter: in a small pan melt the butter. When it starts to foam add the almonds. Cook over medium heat until the butter begins to brown and the almonds are toasted., about 5 minutes. Watch closely not to burn. Strain through a mesh colander, saving the butter. Sprinkle the almond lightly with salt and set aside.
  4. Make the brown butter sauce: Place the brown butter back in the pan over medium heat. Add garlic, capers, peperoncino, chicken stock and lemon juice. Let simmer for 5 minutes.
  5. Plate: Divide the polenta into four plates. Top with three shrimp, drizzle with the butter sauce, and sprinkle with the toasted almonds.
  6. Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley and serve when still hot.

Explore more recipes