Sauteed Shrimp and Asparagus is a fabulous way to enjoy Gulf Shrimp, one of Louisiana’s greatest assets, and its perfect companion, fresh asparagus. Lemon, garlic, butter and wine are natural partners to both and combine to make a wonderfully flavorful dish. Here’s a look at Sweet Daddy D’s quick, tasty and no-angst recipe for Sauteed Shrimp and Asparagus. Everything’s cooked in about 30 minutes and believe me, it will be a hit!
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[Publishers Note: This is an update of the article I wrote originally in June 2018. Always seeking to provide better information for my readers, I've updated and added some information and reformatted photographs for better web viewing. Let me know what you think.]
What Makes This Work?
The Gulf of Mexico produces some of the finest shrimp available anywhere in the world. It’s no coincidence that Cajun and Creole cooks have found innumerable ways to prepare these creatures-fried, boiled, in casseroles and appetizers, in soups and gumbos and jambalaya just to name a few. Here they are sauteed and mixed with lemon, butter, garlic and wine and an excellent partner-the earthy and distinct flavor of asparagus. Taken together, you have something simple, yet elegant. Shrimp and asparagus are nearly ideal mates-they are both at their peak when fresh and excel when properly cooked (that means don’t overcook them!) and although both go well with so many different flavors and seasonings, the combination of lemon, butter, garlic and wine seems to be a perfect fit. This Sauteed Shrimp and Asparagus is excellent over or alongside any type of rice or pasta. Try it with some al dente fettuccine, drizzled with olive oil, lemon zest and parmesan cheese ...a delicious combination. It’s also great with cheese grits or some Brabant Potatoes.
Here Is What You Need
Medium to large shrimp-Either fresh or frozen
Fresh asparagus
Other Ingredients
- Lemon-for the juice, the zest and slices
- Garlic
- Butter
- Shallots-you can substitute red onions or any sweet onion.
- dry white wine - I use dry vermouth but any dry white wine will work
- lemon-pepper seasoning
Herb and Spice Blend
- Oregano
- Basil
- Thyme
- Kosher salt
- Ground Black Pepper
The Herb and Spice Blend
Equipment
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Here Is What You Do
First...you have a beer. This is a simple, no-angst recipe and really fun to cook when you do all your prep work in advance. Grab a beer and read the recipe thoroughly while you sip it. Make sure that you have everything you need and you know what you’ll do with each ingredient. A nice 12” saute pan is perfect for this, although a wok works well also. Proper mise en place for this recipe is simple and makes everything go smoothly.
Mise en Place
If using shrimp with the shells on, peel, devein and rinse them in cold water. Frozen shrimp with no shells should be defrosted and rinsed in cold water. Pat the shrimp dry with some paper towels then place them in the fridge until you are ready for them. Measure out the Herb and Spice Blend and set aside in a prep bowl. Slice the shallots and chop the garlic. Rinse the asparagus and slice on the bias into pieces about 1 to 1 ½ inch long (a bias-cut simply means cutting on the diagonal by holding the knife at a slight angle to the asparagus while slicing). Check out the Hints and Tips section below on more about preparing the asparagus. Zest half the lemon, cut in half and squeeze the zested half, then get the slices from the other half. Measure the wine and the butter.
Saute the shallots in butter
Add four tablespoons of butter to a saute pan over medium-high heat. When the butter is frothy, throw in the shallots and saute until they are starting to get clear, about 3 minutes.
Add in the aromatics
Increase the heat to high. Throw in the garlic, Herbs and Spice Blend, lemon zest and the lemon slices. You’ll use the high heat to lightly roast these ingredients and sharpen their flavors. This only takes a couple of minutes and when you can really start to smell their intense aroma, you have it.
Reduce the wine
Add the wine and lemon juice, shake the pan to incorporate all the ingredients, and bring it to a high simmer. Reduce it down to at least half, maybe a little less than half. This will condense the flavors and cook off the alcohol. When you have that, it's time for the asparagus.
Throw in the asparagus and the shrimp
With the heat still high, add the asparagus and saute for a couple of minutes. Mix the lemon-pepper seasoning into the shrimp, then add them to the skillet immediately. Add the remaining two tablespoons of butter to the pan and saute the shrimp for about five minutes, shaking the pan and turning the shrimp as needed to get a sear on both sides. As the butter melts, a smooth, creamy, and light sauce should form. Remove the pan from the heat and serve immediately.
There you have it, easy as that. Serve immediately with rice, potatoes, pasta, quinoa and a nice green salad.
Hints and Tips
How I’ve screwed this up! This recipe is simple but I’ve messed it up before by overcooking the shrimp and the asparagus. Don't overcook the shrimp or the asparagus because that will only make the shrimp tough and the asparagus mushy. Another word of caution-you may overcook the shrimp before you even throw them in the skillet if you add the lemon-pepper seasoning too soon. The acid from the citrus (lemon-pepper mix) will partially “cook” the shrimp before you add them to the skillet, thus making them tough after sauteeing for five minutes. So the recommendation is: Don’t season the shrimp with the lemon pepper until you add them to the skillet. Similarly, you want the asparagus to maintain a little of the snap and not be mushy. So, let the wine start to reduce, then add the asparagus a couple of minutes before adding the shrimp. Keeping the heat high helps cook the asparagus and shrimp quickly, hopefully with just slight char on the edges.
The bottom inch or two of the asparagus is usually very woody so you want to discard that part before cooking. You can slice it off with a sharp knife or snap it off by holding the stem and breaking the bottom off with your other hand. Also, depending on the thickness of the asparagus, the skin may be tough as well. I generally buy thin asparagus, but if you have thick asparagus, say ½ inch in diameter or larger, just peel the tough skin off the stem with a vegetable peeler. It’s easier to do if you lay the asparagus stalk on a cutting board and run the peeler from just below the head all the way to the bottom.
Shrimp are a great low-calorie source of protein. For more information on the health benefits of shrimp, read this great article, 8 Incredible Benefits of Shrimp.
Asparagus is a good source of fiber and has great anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. This article, Top 7 Reasons Why You Should Eat More Asparagus will provide a lot of information on the nutritional value of asparagus.
If you are starting with shrimp in the shell, here’s a hint: save the shells and heads (if available) in the freezer until you accumulate enough to make some homemade shrimp stock! This could be a game-changer on some recipes.
Leftover Sauteed Shrimp and Asparagus can be kept in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days if stored in an airtight container. Reheat it in a skillet over medium-high heat until heated through. You can use the microwave to reheat the shrimp and asparagus, but this may overcook the shrimp so that they are hard and rubbery while the asparagus gets mushy.
You can also freeze leftover Sauteed Shrimp and Asparagus up to 3 months (for best quality), if wrapped in an airtight container. Vacuum sealers are excellent for this. To reheat, let the shrimp and asparagus defrost in the refrigerator overnight, then saute in a skillet over medium-high heat until heated through. You can use the microwave to reheat the shrimp and asparagus, but it’s not recommended...hard, rubbery and mushy, remember?
The Lemon-Pepper Seasoning will likely contain salt and obviously pepper. Be prudent when adding extra salt and pepper. Start out with a little at first, then add more if you want after tasting at the end.
Digging on the Shrimp? Check out these other great Shrimp Recipes from Sweet Daddy D:
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Yeah You Right!
Sauteed Shrimp and Asparagus
Here's What You Need
- 1 ½ pounds fresh shrimp
- 2 tablespoons lemon/pepper seasoning see Notes
- 6 tablespoons Butter in all
- 2 medium Shallots sliced
- 2 cloves garlic chopped
- ¾ cup Dry White Wine
- Zest and Juice of ½ lemon
- 2 lemon slices
- 1 bunch fresh asparagus sliced-see Notes
Herb and Spice Blend
- ½ teaspoon dry oregano
- ¼ teaspoon dry thyme
- ½ teaspoon dry basil
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste
Here's What You Do
- Peel, de-vein and rinse the shrimp. Pat dry with paper towel and place in a bowl. Set aside.
- In a 12" saute pan (or similar), heat 4 tablespoons of the butter over high heat.
- When the butter is frothy, add the shallots and saute for about 3 minutes until starting to clear.
- Add the aromatics (garlic, lemon zest, lemon slices and the Herb and Spice Blend) and saute until aromatic-about 2 minutes.
- Add the white wine and lemon juice, mix to blend, simmer about two minutes until starting to reduce.
- Still over high heat, add the asparagus and shake the pan back and forth and saute over high heat for another 2 minutes.
- Continue to simmer, shaking the pan often until the wine is reduced by about half.
- Sprinkle the lemon-pepper seasoning on the shrimp and add them to the skillet. Add the remaining butter. Shake the pan back and forth and toss to saute over high heat for 5 to 8 minutes.
- Serve immediately.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Kathleen Chavers
I plan to make this meal and the eggplant and shrimp recipe . One today and the other tomorrow. I'll try to remember to comment on both.
They sound delicious and I look forward to both.
Thank you.
Sweet Daddy D
Sounds like a plan. Remember, the Shrimp and asparagus don't take long to cook, so be careful not to overcook them. Let me know how things turn out. Thanks for reaching out!
Vanessa McDougal
Sounds like an outstanding, easy meal. Thanks for sharing.
Sweet Daddy D
Thanks, Vanessa. I hope you give it a try and let me know what you think.