Think of this as Mexican haute cuisine: elegant and refined, while also simple and unpretentious. Garlic shrimp comes in many slight variations all over Mexico, but the idea is the same everywhere: to pack in as much garlic flavor as possible and to dress with a little butter and lime juice. From start to finish, once the shrimp has been peeled an the garlic has been chopped, this recipe takes no more than eight minutes to prepare.

The larger the shrimp you find, the more striking the visual appeal. Arrange the shrimp artfully on the plate. The judges are out on whether to take the tails off before cooking and serving. That’s up to you; the taste and cooking method is the same either way. Some people just like the way tail-on shrimp look on the plate. I’d rather sacrifice the looks slightly to spare my guests the work of taking off the tail, but that’s a preference, not a rule.

Recipe
Serves 4 as an entree

2 lb. large shrimp, peeled and deveined
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
Fresh ground pepper
1 teaspoon cumin
8 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons dry white wine
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1. Toss shrimp with 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt, pepper, and cumin.
2. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a medium skillet set over medium high heat. Add shrimp and cook until white, about 2 minutes. Remove shrimp from pan.
3. Reduce heat to medium and add butter and garlic to pan. Cook until garlic is golden brown, about 2 minutes. Add wine and reduce, about 2 minutes.
4. Return shrimp to pan along with lime juice and toss to combine. Serve immediately.

Menu planning

For a simple but elegant entree, serve garlic shrimp over a bed of red tomato rice. Or, for an appetizer portion, toss mixed salad greens with a splash each of olive oil and vinegar, and arrange a few roasted red peppers and a portion of shrimp on each salad.