Campfire Shrimp Scampi: When Cast Iron Meets Open Flam
There's something wildly satisfying about cooking restaurant-quality food over an open fire. While everyone else is burning hot dogs, you're about to create shrimp scampi that would make Italian nonnas weep with joy. This isn't just camping food – it's primal cooking at its finest, where smoke, fire, and cast iron transform simple ingredients into pure magic.
Why Campfire Scampi is a Game-Changer
Cast iron over open flame gives you heat control that puts most home stovetops to shame. You get that perfect sizzle, the smoky undertones, and the satisfaction of cooking like our ancestors did – just with better ingredients and significantly more garlic.
Cast Iron Campfire Shrimp Scampi
What You'll Need
The Stars:
1.5 pounds large shrimp (21/25 count), peeled and deveined
8 tablespoons butter
6 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup dry white wine (drink the rest)
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
Salt and black pepper
1 pound linguine or angel hair pasta
Good olive oil for drizzling
The Method
Fire Prep: Get your fire going with good coals – you want steady, medium-high heat, not raging flames. Position your cast iron pan over the hottest part.
Pasta First: Get your pasta water boiling in a separate pot over the fire. Cook pasta until just shy of al dente (it'll finish in the sauce).
The Scampi Magic: Heat 2 tablespoons butter in your cast iron until foaming. Season shrimp with salt and pepper, then sear in batches – 90 seconds per side until just pink. Don't overcrowd. Remove shrimp and set aside.
Build the Sauce: In the same pan, melt remaining butter with garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook until fragrant (about 30 seconds), then add wine. Let it bubble and reduce by half – this is where the magic happens.
The Finish: Add lemon juice, return shrimp to pan, toss in the drained pasta, and add pasta water as needed to create a silky sauce. Remove from heat, add parsley, and toss everything together.
Campfire Pro Tips
Heat Management: Move your pan to cooler spots of the fire to control temperature. Cast iron retains heat like nobody's business.
Wine Wisdom: Use wine you'd actually drink. If it tastes bad in the bottle, it'll taste bad in your scampi.
Timing is Everything: Have everything prepped before you start. Campfire cooking waits for no one.
The Payoff
When you plate this over glowing embers while the sun sets, you'll understand why people become obsessed with outdoor cooking. The combination of perfectly seared shrimp, garlicky butter sauce with a hint of smoke, and the primal satisfaction of cooking over open flame creates an experience that transcends mere dinner.
This is campfire cooking elevated – proof that you don't need a kitchen to create something extraordinary. Just fire, cast iron, and the confidence to turn the wilderness into your personal restaurant.
Buon appetito under the stars, friends.
