Shrimp Scampi Tart in a Puff Pastry Shell

Chef's notes

Puff pastry shell is blind baked crisp and sealed with an egg wash and grated parmigiana cheese. This can be done well ahead.

Scampi recipe can also be prepared earlier and remaining ingredients redied for easy assembly prior to final baking.

Pastry is coated with Italian cheeses then dusted with plain Panko bread crumbs which helps capture scampi’s flavorful juices. Surface is then topped with shrimp and my favorite Shrimp Scampi sauce finished with freshly crumbled feta cheese.

Flat Breads are then quick oven cooked with elevated direct heat, perfectly, crisping dough and shrimp.

Wild shrimp are much more flavorful than farm raised. Prices are reasonable. Pastry conveniently holds 48 shrimp (6 eight count rows of 21 to 30 count Shrimps). As you can see each serving has 4 shrimp, 12 servings.

Feta cheese is best purchased in moist blocks submerged in brine. Most pre-crumbled feta tends to lack character.

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Ingredients

Tart shell

1 Puff Pastry sheet
1 egg whisked with 2 teaspoons water
Grated parmigiana cheese

Scampi

1 1/2 pounds of Shrimp.
1 quarter pound of butter, one stick
1/2 cup of olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup of finely chopped scallions
1 tablespoon of finely chopped garlic
Salt and pepper

Other Ingredients:

1 ½ cups shredded Italian cheese mix
1/2 cup plain Panko bread crumbs
Crumbled feta cheese
Optional, fresh chopped parsley

Instructions

Roll pastry to fit the bottom and sides of in a 10"x15" rimmed cookie sheet. Cover pan with parchment. Prick the surface of the pastry with a folk or Docker roller tool, place on the parchment lined pan, trimming excess if needed. Brush surface with egg wash and sprinkle with grated parmigiana cheese; bake at 400º for about 15 minutes until richly tanned and sealed. See "Preparing Puff Pastry Shell".
Remove shrimp shells including tail section; devein. Rinse in cold water and pat dry. Set them aside.
In a pot, large enough to comfortably hold all the shrimp and sauce, melt the butter over low heat. Add and combine olive oil, lemon juice, scallions, garlic, salt and pepper. Remove from heat.
When ready to assemble, pre-heat oven to 400º direct heat.
Spread pastry with shredded cheese; sprinkle with Panko bread crumbs.
Thoughly stir sauce with shrimp. If butter has separated, warm the sauce slightly first. Scoop solids with shrimp and evenly distribute them in 6 rows of 8 shrimp on the pastry. Spoon remaining solids and a some of the scampi sauce over shrimp. Too much can make puff pastry soggy. Also, be careful not to drip sauce under pasrtry.
Cook shrimp above center of oven. Tart will be read in about 8-10 minutes when shrimp is just cooked through.
Sprinkle with chopped parsley. Cut into serving portions and enjoy.

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Shrimp Scampi Tart in a Puff Pastry Shell