Gamberi alla Nonna

This was a favorite of Grampa Micali.

24 jumbo shrimp
4 eggs
1 cup parsley, chopped
3 cups flavored bread crumbs (or
3 cups plain bread crumbs and
2 teaspoons basil
1 teaspoon oregano
1/8 teaspoon dried thyme
freshly ground pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon salt)
1 cup olive oil

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Beat the eggs until well mixed in a shallow bowl. Peel and devein shrimp, dip in beaten egg. If using flavored bread crumbs just roll the egged shrimp in the bread crumbs. If you don't have flavored bread crumbs, mix the seasonings into the bread crumbs before adding the shrimp. Place the breaded shrimp in a lightly oiled shallow baking dish. Sprinkle garlic and parsley then pour olive oil over the shrimp. Bake for 20 minutes or until cooked. Do not overcook or they will be tough and dry.

Gamberi alla Mama

This is a variation on the breaded shrimp recipe. You can serve it with tartar sauce but at our house it was always served with red gravy - tomato sauce.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
3 small onions, minced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 teaspoon chopped thyme (or
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme)
2 plum tomatoes, diced
3/4 cup bread crumbs
1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese, grated
Salt and pepper to taste
24 jumbo shrimp, butterflied

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Heat oil and butter in a small skillet and saute onions, garlic, parsley, and thyme until the onions become soft. Remove from the heat and mix together with the diced tomato, bread crumbs, Parmesan, salt, and pepper. Place shrimp in lightly oiled baking dish, cut sides down, with tail shells pointing up. Spread a layer of the prepred dressing over the flat part of each shrimp, making a small mound in the center. Bake until the shrimp are pink and the dressing is browned, about 10 to 12 minutes. Garnish with lemon wedges.

also see -> Feast of the Seven Fishes