Shrimp in Lemon Sauce with Olives ~ this 30 minute meal will transport you to the Greek Isles with its silky lemon sauce and rich, briny olives. The health news on the Mediterranean Diet just keeps getting better and better ~ lucky us!
I love Greek food. I love all Mediterranean food, but have a special weakness for Greek flavors. Greek cooking is sunny, simple, and so good for you. When I think Greece I think olives and olive oil, seafood, lemons, wine, feta cheese, and lots of fresh herbs. Any combination of these ingredients make an amazing meal!
If you google Greek shrimp you’ll come up with lots of recipes that use tomatoes and feta cheese. That’s how I used to do shrimp all the time until I discovered this amazing lemon sauce. It’s the same sauce I used in my Greek Meatballs in Lemon Sauce, and that recipe was sent to me by a reader who lives in Athens (thank you Alexandra!!) The sauce is so versatile that I’ve been able to translate it into many different meals. My Chicken in Lemon Sauce with Olives is the poultry version, if you’re not a shrimp lover.
The sauce is a simple, almost primal ~ it consists of stock (in this case chicken or fish) thickened with a mixture of fresh lemon juice and egg yolks. It looks creamy, but there is no dairy in it. The flavor and texture is pure heaven, and goes so well with the bite of the olives. I used both Greek cracked olives and an oil cured Moroccan variety. It really pays to buy your olives fresh from an olive bar rather than rely on jarred, there are so many to choose from and they go so well with healthy Mediterranean dishes.
TIP: It’s hard to find pitted olives in any kind of variety, so I leave the pits in and warn my diners.
I typically serve this with rice or couscous so that none of the sauce goes to waste, but sometimes I’ll just pair it with some crusty bread. If you love the ease of cooking with shrimp, you may want to try my Chimichurri Shrimp, the sauce can be made ahead and the rest takes just minutes. If you want something even easier, try these Salt and Pepper Shrimp Skewers, you don’t even need to peel the shrimp!
Ingredients
- 1 lb medium or large shrimp, peeled and deveined (leave the tails on if you like)
- olive oil
- 4 egg yolks
- 1/3 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice (you can use up to 1/2 cup for a super lemony flavor)
- 1 cup chicken or fish stock
- salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste
- 1 cup mixed olives
- fresh thyme leaves
Instructions
- Whisk the egg yolks and lemon juice together until smooth and set aside.
- Lightly coat the bottom of a skillet with olive oil and heat on medium heat until hot. Saute the shrimp for about 4 minutes, turning once, until they are pink and cooked through. Remove to a plate, cover and keep warm.
- Heat the stock in a medium saucepan until it comes to a boil. Whisk about 1/2 cup of the hot stock into the egg yolks to temper them. Pour the yolk mixture into the pan slowly, while whisking, and continue to heat on medium, stirring constantly, until the mixture just starts to thicken and comes to a simmer. NOTE: it won't get really thick, it will just get a little thicker and glossier. Once it comes to a simmer take off the heat immediately and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Pour the sauce into a medium casserole or gratin dish and place the shrimp in the sauce. Top with the olives and thyme. Serve immediately with rice, couscous, or crusty bread.
Notes:
- Shrimp takes to all kinds of flavors really well, and sometimes I feel like spicing things up…this Chili Garlic Shrimp gets its zing from briefly marinating in lemon, garlic, and chili powder. If you think you can handle it, take the heat up a notch further with my Shrimp Fra Diavolo, below…
Shrimp Scampi Fra Diavolo
don’t forget to pin it!
15 Comments
Hannah
April 4, 2017 at 7:13 pmThis looks amazing, however I’m intolerant of eggs :( (hives and stomach pains occur). Can you think of anything that might be able to take the place of the egg yolk?
Sue
April 4, 2017 at 7:40 pmThat’s a tough one, Hannah. I think you might want to try this with a classic flour and butter roux type of thickening. I go with a ratio of 1 to 1 flour to butter, and then add a little hot stock. You would get a thickened sauce that you can flavor with lemon, and then enrich with half and half, or cream.
Claudia
March 23, 2017 at 8:52 pmI tried this recipe with excellent results, I did at paprika to spice it up a little bit. My husband said it was delicious I served it on a bed of white lemon rice. And white wine.
Sue
March 24, 2017 at 7:53 amSounds lovely, thanks for coming back to let me know Claudia!
Susan
February 26, 2017 at 4:40 pmSuch a wonderful combination of flavors, Sue! We’re trying to eat lighter after a trip where we “food binged” so happy to have new ideas.
Dom
February 26, 2017 at 3:57 amgood lord Sue these look superb. I do love shrimp but so rarely buy it as part of my weekly shop, I must start to include it more. Love the addition of lemon and olives. So perfectly Greek, reminds me of a summer holiday!
Alexandra
February 25, 2017 at 8:05 amSue, what an addition of a dish enhanced with the “avgolemono” sauce! I love your way of exploring and trying new tastes. And as for the olives, is the right way to eat them -with the pits in- and no warning label; as you know, while processing olives to remove the pits, big part of the taste is lost. I take the pits only to make tapenade!
Great recipe, great journey to Santorini….
Chris Scheuer
February 24, 2017 at 5:14 pmThis sounds heavenly, I will definitely try it. Love the combination of shrimp and lemon, then add olives and I’m over the moon with this!
Robyn Gleason
February 24, 2017 at 4:21 pmI’ve long been admiring your lemon meatballs, Sue, and I had no idea the sauce was this easy and fabulous! And with shrimp? Wow! This is perfection. Funny cos meatballs and shrimp are my favourite foods and I’m craving lemon like crazy these days because I’ve got a major case of spring fever. Doing this!
Laura | Tutti Dolci
February 24, 2017 at 3:29 pmIf this shrimp dish will transport me to Santorini, I am all in! :)
Sue
February 24, 2017 at 5:12 pmHaha, take me with you Laura!
Mary
February 24, 2017 at 1:09 pmSuch a lovely spring time meal! great lemony flavor:)
Abbe@This is How I Cook
February 24, 2017 at 12:56 pmLove shrimp dishes and this looks like a winner! The lemon sauce is killer and inder 30 sure has my vote!
Angie@Angie's Recipes
February 24, 2017 at 4:36 amThat lemon sauce sounds really great! And since I LOVE shrimp and olives, this is for sure a winner!
Tricia @ Saving room for dessert
February 24, 2017 at 3:57 amThat lemon sauce has been in my dreams! All your lemon recipes look fantastic and this is no exception. I adore how easy shrimp is to get on the table and I’m also a big fan of olives. This is going on my menu! Have a great weekend Sue!