The Perfect Garlic Butter Shrimp

This recipe is a result of research in a span of a decade. The secret, I've discovered from other dishes, is to saute the shrimp first, remove once done, and prepare the sauce in the same pan. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 lb medium-sized shrimp (preferred over prawn, fresh over frozen, unpeeled)

1 cup lemon soda (7 Up preferred)

1 stick of butter

1 bulb of garlic (minced)

Fresh basil (minced or you can also use dried) 

Parsley (minced)

Thyme (optional)

Italian seasoning (optional)

Cayenne pepper (optional)

1 spoonful of cornstarch dissolved in a spoonful of water

Procedure:

1. Peel the shrimp leaving the head and tail on. (Or you can remove but, personally, the best part is sucking on the head! Skip this step on a lazy day.)

2. Marinate the shrimp in the lemon soda for 10 to 30 minutes. Make sure that all shrimps are covered.

3. Mince the garlic, basil, and parsley. (My favorite part! I love the smell of garlic on my fingers.)

4. Melt half the butter in low heat. Once melted and before it gets hot, add the shrimp without the marinade. Set the lemon soda marinade aside. It's best if all the shrimp fits flat on the pan. Cook each side for 1-2 minutes until all parts have turned orange. Remove the shrimp from the pan. 

5. Add the garlic to the pan. Toss in the butter until golden brown (This happens in a minute! Don't blink!).
6. Add the lemon soda marinade into the pan along with the remaining butter and all the seasoning except for the parsley. Mix, cover, and bring to a boil.

7. Once boiling, remove the cover, and put in the cornstarch mixture.

8. Mix until the sauce thickens. Add some more cornstarch mixture based on your preference. Just dissolve the cornstarch in water first because it does not dissolve in hot water. (This I learned the hard way.)

9. Throw in the shrimp and gently toss to coat with the sauce. 

10. Transfer to a serving bowl, sprinkle with parsley on top, and enjoy!