Tequila and butter create a saucy base for garlicky, spicy shrimp

Craving a simple yet flavorful summer meal? Look no further than drunken shrimp. This dish, featuring saucy, spicy shrimp paired with a cold beer or margarita, is perfect for enjoying outdoors with friends and family.

To make this weeknight-friendly recipe, gently simmer shrimp in a tequila-based sauce infused with garlic and butter. The result is a flavour-packed meal that comes together in just over half an hour. While head-on shrimp are often used, this recipe by Christopher Kimball uses more easily sourced head-off shrimp that are deveined before cooking. Whether you leave the shells on or remove them, they add a rich umami flavour and help to trap the delicious sauce.

Despite the bold flavour, this dish requires gentle cooking. Shrimp are lean and can easily be overcooked, unlike other proteins like chicken or steak. To infuse the shrimp with flavor without overcooking, they are poached in a spicy, garlicky mixture of butter, olive oil, tequila, and a little water.

For the best texture, frozen shrimp should be thawed overnight in the refrigerator. If you need to thaw them quickly, place the bag in room temperature water and weigh it down to keep the shrimp submerged.

You'll know the shrimp are cooked when they have a gentle C-shaped curve. Overcooked shrimp will resemble an "O" and will be dry and rubbery. With this simple recipe, you can enjoy a delicious and satisfying summer meal in no time.

Drunken Shrimp

Start to finish: 35 minutes

Servings: 4 to 6

Ingredients:

2 pounds extra-large (21/25 per pound) shrimp, peeled and deveined (if desired)

2 teaspoons lime juice, plus lime wedges to serve

Kosher salt and ground black pepper

½ cup tequila (see headnote)

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons salted butter, cut into 3 pieces

6 medium garlic cloves, minced

2 to 3 teaspoons red pepper flakes

¼ cup lightly packed fresh cilantro, roughly chopped

½ cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced

½ small red onion, thinly sliced

Directions:

• In a large bowl, stir together the shrimp, lime juice and ½ teaspoon salt; set aside. In a liquid measuring cup or small bowl, combine the tequila and 1 cup water.

• In a 12-inch skillet over medium, heat the oil and butter until the butter foams. Add the garlic and cook, stirring often, until fragrant but not browned, 1 to 2 minutes.

• Add the tequila-water mixture, red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Bring to a simmer over medium-high and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is reduced to about ⅔ cup and turns red, 6 to 9 minutes.

• Reduce to medium, add the shrimp and cook, stirring and turning occasionally, until pink and opaque throughout, about 3 minutes for shelled shrimp or about 5 minutes for shell-on shrimp.

• Off heat, stir in the cilantro, then taste and season with salt and black pepper.

• Transfer to a shallow serving bowl and garnish with the cucumber and onion. Serve with lime wedges.