DIRECTIONS

Step 1

Peel and shell the shrimp leaving the last shell segment attached. Do not devein. Butterfly the shrimp cutting the underside, starting at the last shell segment, and centered length ways through the body, being careful not to cut all the way through the back of the shrimp. Set aside in refrigerator. 

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

Step 2 

Melt a third of the butter in a saucepan over low heat. Add the minced garlic, diced spring onion, including the green tops, and diced red bell pepper to the melted butter in the pan.

Bring up the heat and sauté the mixture for a few minutes until just barely tender. Set the sautéed mixture aside to cool a bit.

Step 3

In a mixing bowl, add the jumbo lump crabmeat, and then the sautéed garlic, onion and bell pepper. Whisk the one egg or two and gently add the crabmeat, along with the fresh chopped sweet basil, lemon juice, (no seeds), half of the bread crumbs, Old Bay, Asiago cheese and half of the sherry wine. Gently blend all ingredients together, taking care not to break up the lumps of crab. Note: The crab mixture should not be too runny. Add just enough breadcrumbs to make the mixture form into a ball.

Step 4

Form 6, loosely packed, equal sized balls from the crab mixture. Gently, but firmly, pack each of the six crab balls into the belly side each of the butterflied shrimp. Add just enough additional breadcrumbs as necessary to keep the crab mixture intact on the shrimp. Arrange each of the "stuffed" shrimp into a shallow baking dish, or even better, into small, individual baking dishes. Melt the rest of the stick of butter and add together the rest of the sherry wine. Drizzle the melted butter and wine over each of the shrimp. Sprinkle a little more Old Bay on top of each of the stuffed shrimp.

Note: I like to rinse the container from the crab with the wine so as to capture all of delicious crab goodness.

Step 5

Make plenty sure your oven is finished preheating to 375-degrees. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until your shrimp is a light golden brow and your shrimp starts to bubble.

Do Not Over Cook!

Serve up with Santa Margarita Pino Grigo, or Chateau Morrisette Our Dog Blue.