This dish reminds me of my friend Amber Jones, who made me join a book club with our friends Kelly and Cindy, even when I told her I didn’t read. Well, it turns out I do read and love sharing a meal and discussing books with this group of women. As it turns out, we were a lot better at sharing meals, talking about our families, and where we were going for vacations than actually discussing the books we had read.

The combination of roasted garlic, shrimp, and fresh parsley strikes a perfect balance of savory, sweet, and herbs, making this dish a tantalizing treat. It is easy to make and cooks very quickly. When served with vegetables, this recipe will not leave you feeling stuffed, even if you pile your plate sky high.

When I first made this dish, I was a little worried because Amber had complained about restaurants that left the shells on the shrimp. After all, it was so messy. But here is the thing: If you leave the shells on the shrimp, it will make them taste better. They will be super juicy and very tender. This dish was so exquisite that Amber happily peeled the shrimp to experience that garlicky flavor.

America’s Test Kitchen – Serves 6

Ingredients

• 1/4 C Salt
• 2 lb Shell-on jumbo shrimp (16 to 20 per pound) shell on
• 4 T Unsalted butter, melted
• 1/4 C Vegetable oil
• 6 Garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 t Red pepper flakes
• 1/4 t Pepper
• 2 T Minced fresh parsley
• Lemon wedges
• 1 t Anise seeds (optional)

Directions

• Using kitchen shears or a sharp paring knife, carefully cut through the shell of the shrimp, but do not remove it. Using a paring knife, continue to cut the shrimp ½ inch deep, taking care not to cut them in half completely. 
• Dissolve salt in one quart of cold water in a large container. Submerge shrimp in brine, cover, and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
• Adjust oven rack four inches from broiler element and heat broiler. 
• Combine melted butter, oil, garlic, pepper flakes, and pepper in a large bowl. 
• Remove shrimp from brine and pat dry with paper towels. Add shrimp and parsley to butter mixture; toss well, making sure butter mixture gets into the interior of the shrimp. 
• Arrange shrimp in a single layer on a wire rack set in a rimmed baking sheet.
• Broil shrimp until opaque and shells are beginning to brown, two to four minutes, rotating the sheet halfway through broiling. 
• Flip shrimp and continue to broil until the second side is opaque and the shells are beginning to brown, two to four minutes longer, rotating the sheet halfway through broiling. 
• Transfer shrimp to a serving platter and serve immediately, passing lemon wedges separately.