Shrimp Francese Recipe

Large shrimp are butterflied, lightly floured, dipped in egg, and pan-fried until crisp and just cooked through. They're finished in a bright lemon, white wine, and butter sauce with cherry tomatoes and served over wilted baby spinach for an elegant yet easy weeknight main.

1 1/4 pounds extra-large shrimp, peeled and deveined (approximately 20 shrimp)
4 large eggs
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
Pure olive oil, for pan frying
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup low-sodium chicken broth
3/4 cup dry white wine
Juice from 1 1/2 lemons
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cut into pieces
Two packages (5 ounces each) baby spinach

Butterfly the shrimp: Slice deeply along the outer curve of each shrimp to open it flat like a book, then pat dry with paper towels.
Prepare coating and cook shrimp: Whisk the eggs with 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and 1 tablespoon parsley. Heat about 1/8 inch of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Put the flour in a shallow dish. Working in batches, dredge each butterflied shrimp in flour, dip in the egg mixture, and place cut side down in the hot skillet. Fry, turning once, until golden, about 3 minutes per batch. Transfer cooked shrimp to a paper-towel-lined plate.
Make the sauce: Pour out any remaining oil and wipe the pan. Add chicken broth, white wine, and lemon juice and bring to a boil over medium-high. Add cherry tomato halves and simmer until slightly reduced, about 4 minutes. Push tomatoes aside and whisk in cold butter a few pieces at a time until the sauce is glossy. Return the shrimp to the skillet and sprinkle with the remaining tablespoon of parsley.
Wilt the spinach: Place baby spinach in a microwave-safe bowl, sprinkle lightly with water and a pinch of salt and pepper, cover with plastic wrap and vent, then microwave until just wilted, about 35 minutes.
To serve: Spoon wilted spinach onto plates, top with the shrimp and tomatoes, and spoon over some of the lemon-butter sauce.

Photo by Christopher Testani
Recipe adapted from Recipe Iseasy Magazine