Honey Garlic Butter Shrimp
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Ingredients

For the Shrimp

  • 500 g shrimp, head-on and shell-on, cleaned and deveined
  • 15 ml cooking oil (1 Tbsp)
  • 50 g butter
  • 20 g garlic, minced
  • 42 g honey (2 Tbsp)
  • 10 ml fish sauce or patis (2 tsp), adjust to taste
  • Salt, to taste
  • Ground black pepper, to taste
  • Lemon wedges, for serving, optional

Slurry optional

  • 8 g cornstarch (about 1 Tbsp)
  • 15 ml water (1 Tbsp)

How to Make It

  1. Clean and devein the shrimp, keeping the heads and shells on. Drain well and pat dry.
  2. Heat the cooking oil in a wide pan over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and sear for about 1 minute, turning briefly, then remove while still partly cooked. Work in batches if needed.
  3. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the butter to the same pan and let it melt.
  4. Add the minced garlic and cook until fragrant, stirring so it does not burn.
  5. Stir in the fish sauce, honey, and ground black pepper.
  6. Return the shrimp and toss to coat. Cover briefly if needed, then cook just until the flesh is opaque throughout.
  7. For a thicker sauce, mix the cornstarch and water until smooth. Stir the slurry again just before using, then add a little at a time to the simmering sauce. Let it thicken before adding more; you may not need all of it.
  8. Taste and adjust with salt, pepper, or a little more fish sauce as needed. Serve immediately with optional lemon wedges.
Kubo Tips
  • Dry the shrimp before searing to reduce splattering and help them pick up some color.
  • Keep the heat gentle after adding the butter and garlic so they do not burn.
  • The shrimp finish cooking in the sauce, so keep the initial sear brief.
  • The slurry is optional. Add it gradually and stop once the sauce lightly coats the shrimp.
  • Taste before adding salt because the butter and fish sauce may already provide enough seasoning