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Cowboy Caviar
Margaux Laskey
3056 ratings with an average rating of 4 out of 5 stars
3,056
15 minutes, plus 2 hours’ chilling
Updated June 6, 2024
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Pat the shrimp very dry and season with salt and pepper. In a large (12-inch) skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high. Add the shrimp and cook until pink and lightly golden in spots, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the shrimp to a plate.
Add the tomatoes to the skillet, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring just once or twice, until they start to blister in spots, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the corn, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring just once or twice, until the tomatoes burst and the corn is golden in spots, 3 to 4 minutes.
Add the garlic and red-pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until you smell garlic, about 1 minute.
Reduce heat to medium, and add the wine and lemon juice, scraping any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook until nearly evaporated, then add the butter and stir until melted. Add the shrimp and its juices and stir until warmed through. (If the sauce breaks and looks greasy, add 1 or 2 teaspoons of water and stir until emulsified.)
Remove from heat, add the herbs, season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve with extra lemon for squeezing over, if you like.
So I just made this for a late lunch/early dinner.... literally the best meal I’ve had all year hands down. I saw the pic on Instagram last week and saved it to my library. I already had all of the ingredients in my fridge except I substituted the white wine for a Spanish Garnacha Rose which was divine. I also added in red onions to merge with the sweetness of the corn. Also I subbed out the cherry tomatoes for tomatoes on the vine. Topped over linguini and capellini. Summer magic at its best!
This was a lovely summer meal that came together really quickly. Since I was trying to a weeknight healthy meal, I cut back on the butter, and I am sure it would be even more decadent and saucy with it. Still, great flavor and it felt like a special meal for a hectic COVID Monday workday.
Made it with scallops instead. Sauteed the scallops with butter instead of olive oil, then follow the rest of the recipe. Only used another 2 tbsp of butter at the end. The sweetness of scallops complimented the sweet summer corn really well. Saved in my recipe box and will make it again this summer!
Absolutely delicious. To simplify the prep a bit, start with the tomatoes in the olive oil. When they blister, push them to one side and add the corn. When it's browning nicely, push it to one side and add the shrimp and garlic. When they're done, proceed with the wine and butter. I served it over penne pasta, which was a nice added texture.
I’ve made a dish very similar to this for years, except I marinate very fresh raw corn & tomatoes in a lemon, garlic & basil vinaigrette and add the seared shrimp. If the veggies are just picked from your garden or a local farm stand they do not need cooking. Be sure to scrape the cobs well to extract the corn milk. The caramelization you get from this quick cooked version might be a nice change of pace or a good use for supermarket corn.
Forget about the butter just use more olive oil. It got five stars from my wife. Use Campari tomatoes for sweetness
I’ve made this with shrimp, with lobster meat and with scallops. All good! I add a few handfuls of spinach at the end and it’s a complete meal.
We made this tonight, ate it on the deck with a good Pinot Grigio, and I can truthfully say “Now it is summer.” This was SO good. Used the last of last year’s corn from the freezer, as our Minnesota corn is a few weeks away yet. Used beautiful heirloom cherry tomatoes from the farm market, and scored some really good Gulf shrimp. The final pleasure was coming in from the deck and having the kitchen still scented with shrimp, garlic, and tomatoes. We were ready to start over!
This was an excellent weekday meal and the flavors packed a punch. I followed mostly to the recipe. However, I added more chili flakes, I deglazed with white wine vinegar b/c I don't drink, and I added probably 1/2 cup basil leaves. It was delicious!
Great summer recipe! All the flavors go really nicely together. Only recommendation would be to do 3-3.5 tbsp of butter - it was a little too heavy with all 5.
Holy cats...why is this recipe rated only 4 stars? I give it 5 . I followed this to the letter, using fresh corn. The tomatoes are jammy and melt on your tongue. I can’t wait to show off this dish. Once again, simple ingredients and processes deliver the most “wow”.
Good quick weeknight dish. Definitely use less butter. 2-3 tablespoons top. I finished it with chives. Next time I’ll use basil. Thanks
Delicious ... but ...in the future I will reduce the butter by at least 2 tablespoons, maybe more if I up the olive oil. I used a stock I quickly made from the shrimp shells instead of the wine which I just don't keep in the house. This will definitely go into regular rotation!
Delicious! I used farmers market small sun gold tomatoes and cooked them separately using Martha Rose Schulman’s slow roasted cherry tomatoes recipe on NYT and added them at end with the shrimp. Also added green beans and cooked before adding the corn and garlic. Cooking tomatoes separately was an extra step but well worth it as adds a little sweetness, cooks them evenly and they burst beautifully.
Excellent! No need to salt & pepper with each addition. Cut butter in half. Also delicious served cold!
Use large shrimp! Maybe 2.5 cups of corn or 4 fresh corn.
OMG this was delicious! Just me so it was only .5 Lb. of shrimp. I had a few extra sliced cherry tomatoes and added in a little orzo at the end. I will definitely add this to the rotation, for me, and for friends!!!
Delicious! Adding jalapeño and half the butter. I would use more corn next time. Served it with a crispy baguette
Holy toledo- so so yummy!
Excellent recipe.
Add more cherry tomatoes then perfect.
I’ve made this several times now, and we love how it tastes like summer. I cooked this as directed and served it over half a pound of linguine. It was perfect.
Now a summer staple. Easy and tasty. Although I prefer cooking the shrimp as directed - this last time I added cooked shrimp and also scallions. Simple and good.
Very much enjoyed. I up the amount of tomatoes and serve over Angel Hair pasta.
Good meal, worked well with thawed cooked XL shrimp
This was delicious! I’m from New Orleans and this reminded me of a summery take on bbq shrimp. The corn, tomatoes, basil, and lemon added freshness to an otherwise rich sauce. Served with French bread!
Excellent recipe! I served it over cheesy polenta and sprinkled with crispy bacon bits & fresh basil. Delicious.
Agree with the simplified version. First burst the tomatoes, move to the side. Add corn then move to the side. And yes…less butter
We absolutely love love love this recipe, thanks Ali!
Excellent! I used Vermouth instead of wine, and added the raw shrimp at the end. Served over pasta with roasted broccolini. So simple and quick! ❤️
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