How to Make Marc Forgione's Bang Bang Shrimp at Home | GQ
Photo by Matt Martin
If you want bold, brash flavor, be it charred meat, sizzling chicken, or seafood teeming with Asian spices, Chef Marc Forgione is your man. He’s a master of steakhouse classics, but an eclectic background in French cuisine and a deep appreciation for international flavors has resulted in something uniquely... Forgione. It’s hard to talk about Chef Forgione without mentioning his father, Larry, the godfather of American cuisine and archetype of celebrity chefs before celebrity chefs were even a thing. But at this point in the younger Forgione’s career—he’s opened numerous restaurants, including a new American Cut in San Juan and Midtown Manhattan, earned two Michelin stars, and achieved official Iron Chef status—it’s safe to say he’s a tour de force in his own right.
So, what’s a guy to eat when he’s not busy opening restaurants and battling chefs in Kitchen Stadium? Depends on what’s in the fridge, which he says is typically stocked with hot sauce, chunks of parmesan, eggs (“There are so many weird things you can do with eggs.”), cured meat, and baby arugula (“I just grab it and eat it plain.”). One thing’s for sure: it has to be spicy. “A lot of chefs like strong, spicy, assertive foods ‘cause our palettes are so overused,” he says. “It’s got to taste like something for me to like it.” That’s where this recipe comes in. Chef Forgione’s “Bang Bang Shrimp” is a dish borne out of constant experimentation, culinary curiosity, and an endless need for heat. And trust me, there’s a lot of heat