Shrimp Scampi Phyllo Triangles

Chef's notes

Shrimp scampi is baked in toasty phyllo triangles. This eloquent appetizer is sure to impress your guests. The left shows the first hot tray right out of the oven. If you've never worked with phyllo, don't fret. It's easy once you know the simple basics.

Phyllo dough sheets are in the freezer section of your grocery store. Review packaging instructions for defrosting.

Each box has two sleeves of 20 rolled sheets. Individual sheets are 9" by 14". Keep sleeves refrigerated and sealed until ready to work with them. Once unrolled, prevent them from drying by covering them with wax paper and a lightly moistened dish towel over the wax paper. Also be careful not to get moisture onto the bare sheets. Once you become proficient working with phyllo, you can eliminate using the wax paper and towel unless there is an interruption.

The recipe below will make 41 appetizers using both 20-sheet rolls. Proportionally scale down for less.

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Ingredients

41 large shrimp (there are about 33 large shrimp per pound)
8 tablespoons butter (1 stick)
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup chopped scallions
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
1 tablespoon lemon
1 teaspoon salt
1 box of phyllo (2 sleeves of 20 sheets each)
Sesame seeds, optional
melted butter and a pastry brush

Instructions

Remove shells from shrimp and de-vein. Rinse them in cold water and thoroughly dry.
In a pot large enough to hold all of the shrimp, combine olive oil and 1 stick of butter over medium heat until butter is just melted. Stir in scallions, garlic, lemon juice, and salt. Remove from heat. Cool too room temperature and mix in the shrimp.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Have the melted butter, pastry brush, wax paper, and a damp dish towel ready. Unroll 1 sleeve of phyllo dough. Peel and place one sheet on the working counter (9" side parallel to your body). Lightly butter the top surface. Add a second sheet over the first and butter. Add the third sheet but don't butter. Cover the original stack of sheets with the wax paper and the damp towel.
With a sharp knife, cut three equal strips parallel to the long side (making 3" wide by 14" long strips).
Scoop a shrimp and some of the mixture with a kitchen tablespoon and place it on the end of each of the three strips. Fold each strip like you would a flag, diagonal to diagonal to the end of the strip, forming a triangle. Place them with their seams down on a cookie sheet.
Repeat with 3 more sheets, butter, cut, fill and fold. Replenish the stack with the second roll of sheets when needed. When finished, lightly brush butter on the top of the triangles and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake for about 20 minutes or when Phyllo is toasted. Cut into one to make sure shrimp is cooked through.
Brush with warmed leftover scampi cooking sauce.
Note: above will create 39 phyllo triangles with two sheet of phyllo left over. Tri-fold the last 2 sheets to make 41th total triangle.

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Shrimp Scampi Phyllo Triangles