Shrimp Scampi Orzo

You must love, and I mean LOVE, lemon to appreciate this Shrimp Scampi Orzo recipe truly! Okay, it helps if you also like shrimp and orzo. One of my favorite dishes, it took several tweaks over the past two years to perfect this Shrimp Scampi Orzo recipe for a party of one with refreshingly zesty flavor.

INGREDIENTS

6 pieces of large shrimp, shelled and deveined

a one-third cup of orzo

eight ounces of chicken broth

one small/medium size lemon, zest and hand-squeezed juice separated

two garlic cloves, sliced

two tablespoons of white wine

one tablespoon of unsalted butter

a half tablespoon of diced chives

a half tablespoon of olive oil

a half tablespoon of chili pepper olive oil

 a quarter teaspoon of crushed pepper

an eighth teaspoon of salt flakes

Before we start cooking, let's start with some fine print. I've used non-stick frying pans, dutch ovens, and cast iron skillets to make this Shrimp Scampi Orzo, and the one that worked out the best is an eight-inch cast iron skillet for Korean barbecues. If you don't have a cast iron skillet for Korean barbecues, the next best to use is a small cast iron skillet or a small non-stick frying pan if you are cooking for a party of one. Remember, this Shrimp Scampi Orzo recipe is for one serving! An eight-inch skillet is the perfect size to thinly spread out orzo with the shrimp on top for quick cooking. If you don't have the exact size pan, don't worry. Use the smallest size for one serving and size up accordingly when you are doubling, tripling, or quadrupling the recipe.

In a small bowl, add prepared shrimp, olive oil, one sliced garlic clove, chili pepper olive oil, lemon zest, crushed pepper, and salt flakes. Mix, cover, and set aside in the refrigerator for thirty minutes, no more than an hour.

Heat a small cast iron skillet over high heat and add butter. Once the butter is melted, add orzo and quickly stir until lightly toasted.

Add white wine and the other sliced garlic clove. I typically use Chardonnay, but any dried white wine will do. Stir once or twice to make sure the orzo isn't sticking to the bottom. Gently pour enough chicken broth to cover the orzo and lower the heat to medium-high. Let it cook while barely covering the orzo with chicken broth until cooked to al dente. As you continue to add chicken broth to barely cover the orzo as it cooks, occasionally stir to prevent the orzo from sticking to the skillet's bottom. You won't use all of the broth.

Once cooked to al dente, lower the heat to medium. If needed, gently add a splash or two of chicken broth. Place the shrimp evenly on top of the orzo and pour lemon juice over it. After a minute, flip the shrimp. Once the shrimp is cooked, remove from the heat and sprinkle diced chives. Set it aside for a minute or two before serving. Enjoy!