Toasted Ciabatta with Shrimp and Tarragon Butter

Name: Toasted Ciabatta with Shrimp and Tarragon Butter
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 1¼ stick Unsalted butter, at room temperature; 2 medium Shallots, roughly chopped; 2 clove Garlic cloves, peeled; 1 whole Lemon, zested and juiced; 2 tbsp Champagne vinegar; 1 tbsp Fresh tarragon leaves; ½ lb Shrimp, peeled and deveined; 2 tbsp Olive oil; Kosher salt; Freshly ground black pepper; 1 lb Ciabatta bread loaf, cut in half horizontally

Recipe GLPR55b87234d228c0

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French

Appetizer

35 min

471 cal

Servings: 6

Oven

Stovetop

SNAP eligible

Crispy toasted ciabatta bread topped with butter-sautéed shrimp and spread with a silky tarragon-infused compound butter. Fresh lemon brightens the delicate shrimp while champagne vinegar and shallots add complexity to this elegant Italian-inspired appetizer.

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Ingredients

1¼ stick Unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 medium Shallots, roughly chopped

2 clove Garlic cloves, peeled

1 whole Lemon, zested and juiced

2 tbsp Champagne vinegar

1 tbsp Fresh tarragon leaves

½ lb Shrimp, peeled and deveined

2 tbsp Olive oil

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 lb Ciabatta bread loaf, cut in half horizontally

Directions

Make the tarragon butter: In a food processor, pulse together the shallots, garlic, lemon zest, tarragon, and champagne vinegar until fine. Add the room-temperature butter and pulse until well combined and smooth. Fold in the lemon juice by hand, season with salt and pepper to taste, and set aside.
Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).
Toast the ciabatta: Place the ciabatta halves cut-side up on a baking sheet. Toast in the preheated oven for 4–5 minutes until the cut surfaces are golden and crisp.
While the bread toasts, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once shimmering, add the shrimp in a single layer. Cook for 2 minutes without stirring, then season with salt and pepper.
Stir the shrimp and cook for another 2–3 minutes until the shrimp are opaque throughout and reach an internal temperature of 145°F (63°C). Remove from heat and set aside.
Once the ciabatta is toasted, spread a generous layer of the tarragon butter on both halves of the warm bread.
Top with the warm sautéed shrimp, dividing them evenly between the two halves. Slice and serve immediately.

Comments

Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff4.75

This is a Charlotte-friendly dish that leans on fresh shrimp from the coast and basic pantry staples available everywhere—Harris Teeter, Food Lion, Publix, Walmart, ALDI, and Kroger all stock butter, shallots, garlic, lemon, tarragon, shrimp, olive oil, and ciabatta. The real cost driver is shrimp (roughly $12–16 per pound), which will land at $18–24 total for six servings, or $3–4 per plate before bread; champagne vinegar is a minor upgrade over white wine vinegar but not a deal-breaker. The stated 35 minutes overlooks the 10–15 minutes needed to devein and pat-dry shrimp for proper searing and to make the tarragon butter from cold sticks, bringing honest time to 45–50 minutes. This is a dinner-party appetizer or light supper that does not keep well—tarragon butter softens quickly and shrimp toughens on reheating—so plan to serve it same-night and fresh off the pan, which suits the elegant, unfussy technique.