WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS: In this special-occasion recipe, colossal shrimp are spread open, packed with a buttery stuffing, and baked until the stuffing is crisp and the shrimp are just cooked through. But after preparing several baked stuffed shrimp recipes, we realized that there were two big problems—mushy, bland stuffing and shrimp as chewy as rubber bands. We wanted a baked stuffed shrimp recipe that produced crisp, flavorful stuffing and perfectly cooked shrimp. In our recipe, tasters preferred the sweet flavor of fresh bread crumbs. Toasting the bread crumbs before baking helped ensure a crispy baked stuffing. Butterflying the shrimp allowed us to press the stuffing into the shrimp—as the shrimp contracted in the oven, the stuffing was sealed into place. To make sure our Baked Stuffed Shrimp recipe’s stuffing was crispy without overcooking the shrimp, we cooked the shrimp for a longer time at a lower temperature.

• 4 slices hearty white sandwich bread , torn into pieces
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup bottled clam juice
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
• 4 scallions , chopped fine
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 2 teaspoons grated zest and 1 tablespoon juice from 1 lemon
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Salt
• 1 1/4 pounds colossal shrimp, peeled and deveined

1. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Pulse bread in food processor to coarse crumbs. Transfer crumbs to broiler pan bottom and bake until golden and dry, 8 to 10 minutes, stirring halfway through cooking time. Remove crumbs from oven and reduce temperature to 275 degrees.
2. Combine toasted bread crumbs, mayonnaise, clam juice, parsley, scallions, garlic, lemon zest and juice, mustard, cayenne, and ¼ teaspoon salt in large bowl.
3. Pat shrimp dry with paper towels and season with salt. Grease empty broiler pan bottom. Following steps 1 to 4 at left, butterfly and cut hole through center of each shrimp and arrange cut-side down on prepared pan. Divide bread crumb mixture among shrimp, pressing to adhere. Bake until shrimp are opaque, 20 to 25 minutes.
4. Remove shrimp from oven and heat broiler. Broil shrimp until crumbs are deep golden brown and crispy, 1 to 3 minutes. Serve.

• If you can’t find clam juice, chicken stock will work in a pinch.
• Any sturdy rimmed baking sheet can be used in place of the broiler pan bottom.