Scampi (other)
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Scampi is a
crustacean Crustaceans (from Latin meaning: "those with shells" or "crusted ones") are invertebrate animals that constitute one group of arthropods that are traditionally a part of the subphylum Crustacea (), a large, diverse group of mainly aquatic arthrop ...
-based seafood dish, especially featuring
langoustine ''Nephrops norvegicus'', known variously as the Norway lobster, Dublin Bay prawn, ' (compare langostino) or ''scampi'', is a slim, coral-colored lobster that grows up to long, and is "the most important commercial crustacean in Europe". It is ...
(the Italian name of which gives the dish its name), as well as shrimp or prawns, varying regionally in preparation. The term "scampi" is also used as a style of preparation (of, characteristically, shellfish such as langoustines or shrimp sauteed in olive oil, garlic, and white wine, and garnished with
Parmesan cheese Parmesan (, ) is an Italian hard, granular cheese produced from cow's milk and aged at least 12 months. It is a grana-type cheese, along with Grana Padano, the historic , and others. The term ''Parmesan'' may refer to either Parmigiano ...
and lemon juice).


Name

''Scampi'' is the plural of , the
Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...
name for the langoustine (''
Nephrops norvegicus ''Nephrops norvegicus'', known variously as the Norway lobster, Dublin Bay prawn, ' (compare langostino) or ''scampi'', is a slim, coral-colored lobster that grows up to long, and is "the most important commercial crustacean in Europe". It is ...
''), also called the Norwegian lobster. The Italian word may be derived from the
Ancient Greek Ancient Greek (, ; ) includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the classical antiquity, ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Greek ...
(), meaning "bending" or "winding". In English, the term may, depending on region and context, refer to either langoustine as a species, or to the dish traditionally made with them or a similar crustacean. In the United States, where langoustines are uncommon, the dish is made with shrimp, and usually called "shrimp scampi", treating the terms as a style of preparation. Food labelling laws in the UK require products labelled "scampi" to contain langoustine (or, as "Pacific scampi", Andaman lobster '' Metanephrops adamanicus'' or New Zealand lobster '' Metanephrops challengeri''), as
monkfish Members of the genus ''Lophius'', also sometimes called monkfish, fishing-frogs, frog-fish, and sea-devils, are various species of lophiid anglerfishes found in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. ''Lophius'' is known as the "monk" or "monkfish" to ...
tail was formerly sometimes dishonestly used and sold as scampi in the United Kingdom.


Preparation methods

Although commonly sautéed, as in Italy, the French encyclopaedia '' Larousse Gastronomique'' describes langoustine as delicate, and suggests they be poached only for a few seconds in
court-bouillon Court-bouillon or court bouillon (in Louisiana, pronounced ''coo-bee-yon'') is a quickly-cooked broth used for poaching (food), poaching other foods, most commonly fish (food), fish or seafood. It is also sometimes used for poaching vegetables, e ...
. When very fresh, they have a slightly sweet flavour that is lost when frozen and can be eaten plain. In Britain, the shelled tail meat is generally referred to as "scampi tails" or "wholetail scampi". Cheaper "re-formed scampi" can contain other parts pressed together with other fish. Scampi is served fried in batter or breadcrumbs and usually with
chips ''CHiPs'' is an American crime drama television series created by Rick Rosner and originally aired on NBC from September 15, 1977, to May 1, 1983. After the final first-run telecast on NBC in May 1983, the series went into reruns on Sundays fr ...
and
tartar sauce Tartar sauce (; often spelled tartare sauce in the UK, Ireland, and Commonwealth countries) is a condiment made of mayonnaise, chopped gherkins or relish, capers, and herbs such as tarragon and dill. Tartar sauce can also be enhanced with ot ...
. It is widely available in supermarkets and restaurants and considered pub or snack food. In the United States, "shrimp scampi" is the menu name for a particular
shrimp A shrimp (: shrimp (American English, US) or shrimps (British English, UK)) is a crustacean with an elongated body and a primarily Aquatic locomotion, swimming mode of locomotion – typically Decapods belonging to the Caridea or Dendrobranchi ...
dish in
Italian-American cuisine Italian-American cuisine () is a style of Italian cuisine adapted throughout the United States. Italian-American food has been shaped throughout history by various waves of immigrants and their descendants, called Italian Americans. As immigra ...
. (The actual word for "shrimp" in Italian is ''gambero'' or ''gamberetto'', plural ''gamberi'' or ''gamberetti''.Reynolds, Barbara. ''The Concise Cambridge Italian Dictionary'', Cambridge University Press, 1975) "Scampi" by itself is a dish of shrimp served in
garlic butter Garlic butter, also known as ''beurre à la bourguignonne'', is a compound butter used as a flavoring for many dishes or as a condiment.'' Larousse Gastronomique'' (1961), Crown Publishers(''Translated from the French, Librairie Larousse, Paris ...
, dry
white wine White wine is a wine that is Fermentation in winemaking, fermented without undergoing the process of Maceration (wine), maceration, which involves prolonged contact between the juice with the grape skins, seeds, and pulp. The wine color, colou ...
and
Parmesan cheese Parmesan (, ) is an Italian hard, granular cheese produced from cow's milk and aged at least 12 months. It is a grana-type cheese, along with Grana Padano, the historic , and others. The term ''Parmesan'' may refer to either Parmigiano ...
, either with bread or over pasta or rice. The term "shrimp scampi" is construed as a style of preparation, with variants using other shellfish or even meats such as chicken.


See also

*
List of seafood dishes This is a list of notable seafood dishes. Seafood dishes are food dishes which use seafood (fish, shellfish or seaweed) as primary ingredients, and are ready to be served or eaten with any needed preparation or cooking completed. Many fish or ...


References


Further reading

* Alan Davidson, ''Mediterranean Seafood'', 1972. . *
Prosper Montagné Prosper Montagné (; 14 November 1865 – 22 April 1948) was one of the most renowned French chefs of the Belle Époque and author of many books and articles on food, cooking, and gastronomy, notably '' Larousse Gastronomique'' (1938), an encyclo ...
, '' Larousse Gastronomique'', 1938. .


External links

* {{Portal bar, Food American cuisine Animal-based seafood European cuisine Seafood dishes Shrimp dishes