Three shrimp on a stick, fifteen minutes in a basil olive oil marinade, and two minutes a side in a hot pan. This is the fastest genuinely impressive appetizer in the library.

Shrimp are lean enough that they take on whatever fat you give them, which is exactly why the Basil Extra Virgin Olive Oil matters here — the herb infusion carries straight into the flesh rather than sitting on the surface. Lemon zest holds the aromatic oils that lemon juice loses to heat, so the zest goes into the marinade and the juice goes in for brightness. Soak the wooden skewer first and it will not scorch.

Get the pan properly hot before the skewer touches it. Shrimp on a lukewarm surface steam in their own marinade and turn rubbery before they ever take on color.