Smoky Shrimp with Garlic and Olive Oil

In honor of the season, I'm offering you a perfect dish to eat out at the picnic table in the spring twilight. Or inside by the fan with the lights off. And you only have the stove on for about 7 minutes altogether, so it's nice in the heat.

Active time: 10 minutes
Total time: 25 minutes
Yield: Serves 4

1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined (thaw frozen shrimp by running cold water over them in a colander for five or so minutes; I use frozen "Whole Catch" peeled, tail-on raw shrimp)
2 teaspoons kosher salt (or half as much table salt)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped garlic (5 or 6 large cloves)
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon sherry vinegar
Chopped flat-leaf parsley

1. Sprinkle the shrimp with the salt and set aside for 10 or 15 minutes.
2. In a wide skillet over medium heat, heat the olive oil until very hot but not smoking. Add all the shrimp to the pan in a single layer (more or less) and sprinkle the garlic over it.
3. Cook for a minute, then sprinkle in the paprika and cook, stirring, until the shrimp are pink and cooked through -- around three minutes altogether.
4. Turn off the heat, stir in the sherry vinegar and sprinkle on the parsley, and serve.

Recipe Note: I really, really recommend using the ingredients as listed above. Sherry vinegar is just so incredibly smooth and deep -- you will love it here, and on a salad with walnuts, and drizzled onto a dish of lentil soup... And the smoked paprika. And the masses of garlic. Also, do take the time to salt the shrimp beforehand: it seasons them beautifully and also firms them up a bit, which makes for a more appealing texture.

Read more about Catherine making Smoky Shrimp with her family.

See more recipes from Catherine Newman at her "Dalai Mama Dishes" blog.