The Garlic Harlot (Contessa's Shrimp Scampi)

I guess this is my Summer of Shrimp. I’m not really sure why, because I’m not normally a huge shrimp fan. Yes, I like it; but normally I eat it a couple of times a year, not several times in the course of one summer. Perhaps, here in Phoenix, where it has been even more sweltering than usual, the idea of shrimp is particularly appealing due to its ease of preparation. Of course, dishes I don’t have to prepare are even more attractive, and I’ve found another one from Contessa that deserves mention.

I’d seen Contessa’s boxes of Shrimp Scampi (they have 12-ounce and 32-ounce sizes) in the freezer section and the frozen seafood section of my local groceries, but had not tried one until this past week. I was rushed at the store, getting ready to go out of town the following morning, when I spotted the tasty-looking picture on the front of Contessa’s box, and decided to give it a try. Truthfully, I wasn’t expecting much, but I’ve had pretty good luck with Contessa’s convenience meals, so I was willing to risk a test-drive.

The preparation was simplicity itself; open the plastic bag-type container inside the box; add the shrimp to a pre-heated skillet; sauté 3-4 minutes on each side, and serve. I made plain white rice to accompany the dish (more on this choice later). Inside the bag were 25-30 medium-sized shrimp, which initially started out with a frozen coating that melted during the cooking and became the buttery garlic sauce.


I’ll save you the suspense – this dish wasn’t just okay; it wasn’t just pretty good for frozen – it was fantastic. I was completely shocked. I’ve been making scampi from scratch forever; and I’m pretty sure that if the Hubster hadn’t seen the box, he would have cheerfully devoured this Scampi and never thought for a moment that it wasn’t homemade.

The sauce was perfectly seasoned, buttery and garlicky with a slight hint of herbs; the sauce was neither too thin nor too thick. The shrimp, although a smidgen on the small side for my taste, were cooked to the right degree of doneness, not overcooked to the rubbery brink of death, as is so often the case with convenience meals.

And the damage to your waistline? Per 4 oz serving (see my criticism of the serving size estimation, below), 290 calories; 27 grams of total fat, including 7 grams of saturated fat and 4 grams of Trans Fat; 4 grams of carbohydrate (so lo-carb friendly), 2 grams of fiber and 9 grams of protein. If you split the box between the two of you, it would be a little under 450 calories each. It's not a Budget Gourmet item at $8.49+/- for the box, but I am absolutely going to buy some more of these and keep them on hand. In fact, I liked this so much, I'm going to see if my grocer will carry some of their other speciality seafood/shrimp items, like Coconut Shrimp and "Ragin' Cajun Shrimp." After the Scampi experience, I'm game to try these out.

My only criticism of the meal is that Contessa claims this serves “about 3;” the Hubster and I are not large eaters, and although we had about 4 shrimp left over, that hardly constitutes a third portion – realistically, I’d say the 12-ounce size serves two, and that’s with a side dish of starch and a vegetable. If you’re going to eat this without rice or pasta and a vegetable, assume one 12-oz. serving per person. I would, in the future, make pasta with this, instead of rice – the garlicky butter sauce would suit angel hair better than the rice as a side. Definitely include a loaf of Italian bread, to sop up the sauce, so you don’t miss one delicious bite.

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