Simple but full of flavour, this seafood dish will impress your friends

This is one of the most loved dishes in Croatia. It is a typical fisherman’s recipe – simple but delicious.

This is an edited extract from Dalmatia by Ino Kuvacic (Hardi Grant, $50). Photography: Chris Middleton

If I have a special dinner party guest I want to impress, “škampi na buzaru” is definitely on the menu. Once you try this dish, you’ll realise what all the fuss is about.

Scampi from the Adriatic Sea are of exceptional quality. Don’t confuse scampi with prawns – they are a world apart. Scampi have an exceptionally delicate, sweet flavour. There is a whole culture around eating scampi.

This is one of the most loved dishes in Croatia. It is a typical fisherman’s recipe – simple but delicious.

Use your fingers to dismantle them from the shell and then take your time eating them, as they are so full of flavour and every single bit is delicious.

Soak up the juices from the scampi with crusty bread.

Try too my Croatian vegetable soup.

A taste of the Med coast. Photography: Chris Middleton

Dalmatia by Ino Kuvacic, published by Hardie Grant Books.

Scampi in garlic, white wine and tomato

Ingredients

• 100ml extra-virgin olive oil
• 1kg scampi
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 250ml (1 cup) white wine
• 125ml (1 cup) tomato passata
• 1 tablespoon dry breadcrumbs
• 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
• Sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Crusty bread, to serve
• Finger bowls of water with lemon juice

Method

1. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over a high heat, being careful not to let it start smoking. Add the scampi and sauté them on both sides for a couple of minutes.
   Add the garlic and cook for few seconds (be careful not to brown the garlic because this will make the dish taste bitter).
2. Add the white wine, passata and breadcrumbs, and season with salt and pepper. Cover the pan with a lid and cook for another 15 minutes, shaking the pan frequently so the scampi don’t stick to the bottom and burn.
3. If the sauce is too thick, add a touch of water. Sprinkle with the parsley and serve with the crusty bread. Provide finger bowls for your diners, too – this one can get messy! Serves 4