Brown Butter Scampi Recipe
This brown butter scampi recipe features tender scampi cooked in nutty browned butter with lemon, served over crisp green beans and toasted pine nuts. Featured on Fish the Dish, this dish is a quick, elegant seafood recipe that balances richness, freshness, and crunch in every bite.
The Inspiration
Brown butter, or beurre noisette, is a classic culinary technique that transforms ordinary butter into a deeply aromatic sauce with nutty, caramel-like notes. It is widely used in French-inspired cooking to elevate seafood, vegetables, and pasta with minimal ingredients and maximum flavour.
In this recipe, scampi is paired with brown butter to enhance its natural sweetness and delicate texture. The gentle sear allows the seafood to absorb the richness of the butter without overpowering its subtle flavour. Lemon juice and zest are added to cut through the richness, providing brightness and acidity that lift the entire dish. This balance between fat and citrus is key to making the recipe feel light yet indulgent.
On Fish the Dish, Spencer Watts often focuses on quick but flavour-packed seafood recipes, and this dish reflects that approach perfectly. It uses just a handful of ingredients but relies on technique—especially browning butter—to create depth and complexity.
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup (80ml) butter
- 1 pound (450 grams) scampi, shells removed
- Juice and zest from 1 lemon
- ½ pound (225 grams) green beans
- ¼ cup (60ml) pine nuts
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Method
- Cook green beans in boiling water for 1-2 minutes. Once cooked, remove and place in ice water.
- Once cool, remove the greens beans from the ice water and pat dry. Set aside.
- Melt butter in large frying pan over medium-high heat.
- Keep cooking the butter until it turns brown and has caramel aromas.
- Pat scampi dry, season with salt and pepper and add to the brown butter.
- Cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Flip and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
- Remove scampi from frying pan and set aside.
- In the same frying pan, add green beans and pine nuts.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the green beans are soft and the pine nuts are toasted.
- Add lemon juice and zest.
- Remove from heat and serve immediately.
- Serve scampi over the green beans and pine nuts and drizzle remaining brown butter over top.
Serving Suggestions
This brown butter scampi dish is ideal for a quick weeknight dinner or an elegant two-person meal. Its rich yet bright flavour profile makes it feel gourmet without requiring complex preparation.
Serve it on a warm plate to preserve the butter sauce and enhance aroma. A slice of crusty bread or baguette pairs perfectly for soaking up the browned butter and lemon juices.
For a fuller meal, you can serve it alongside roasted potatoes, rice, or a light grain salad. The dish also works beautifully with simple greens dressed in vinaigrette to balance the richness.
Pair with a crisp white wine such as Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, or a dry Riesling to complement the citrus and butter notes.
Final Thoughts
This brown butter scampi recipe is a perfect example of how simple ingredients and classic technique can create a restaurant-quality dish in under 30 minutes. The nutty browned butter, bright lemon, and tender scampi form a beautifully balanced seafood plate.
What makes this recipe stand out is its contrast of textures and flavours—silky butter, crisp beans, and crunchy pine nuts working together in harmony. It is both comforting and refined, making it suitable for casual dinners or special occasions.
On Fish the Dish, this recipe highlights the power of technique-driven cooking, where timing and temperature transform basic ingredients into something memorable.