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With the holiday season upon us, I wanted to share this recipe that is a staple in our home on Christmas Eve. Auntie Dot’s baked stuffed shrimp. We serve multiple courses including an antipasto platter along with a baked Brie en croute with cranberries, cheese and crackers, and pâté just before the baked stuffed shrimp are served. The main courses consisting of shrimp, broccoli and pasta soup, cioppino, ham, tzimmes, roasted potatoes and green bean Almondine are served a short time later. To top it all off, an assortment of fruits and desserts including tiramisu, Italian cookies and brownies.

1 lb. Shrimp (U16-20) Extra Jumbo or (U 12-15) Colossal (deveined and butterflied, leaving the tail intact)
1 sleeve of Ritz Crackers (crushed)
5 Tbl. Melted unsalted butter
4 Tbl. Extra Virgin olive oil
Sweet paprika (optional)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place one sleeve of the crackers into a food processor and pulse until it’s a breadcrumb consistency. Add the melted butter and olive oil and pulse until the mixture just holds together. Place about a teaspoon of the mixture into the palm of your hand and squeeze it, then release. If it does not quite hold together, add 1 tablespoon of water to the mixture and retry to see if it holds together. Put the mixture aside. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and grease lightly with olive oil. To clean the shrimp, pull the shell off, leaving the tail section intact. Devein the shrimp with a paring knife. Once cleaned, with the paring knife, cut through the deveined side of the shrimp about 3/4 of the way, but not all the way through. Repeat until all the shrimp are prepared. In one hand hold the shrimp with the cut side down and press in your palm until flat. You are now ready to place about 1 1/2 teaspoons of the mixture onto the flat side of the shrimp and press it down so it stays in place. Place it onto the prepared baking sheet. Once all of the shrimp are on the baking sheet, sprinkle the paprika over the top of all shrimp, if desired. Bake for 12-15 minutes until the shrimp just turn opaque. I typically serve about 3-4 shrimp per person (U 16-20) or 2-3 per person (U 12-15). The U stands for the approximate number of shrimp per pound depending on size.