Shrimp on the grill sounds like a simple and quick meal. But in reality the shrimp are often rubbery and overcooked. Today I address this problem with a quick brine for the shrimp and then pack them tightly together on skewers so they don't quickly overcook.
The shrimp and sauce finish cooking together on the grill, so prepare/gather the sauce while the grill is heating, then carry them out to the grill with the sauce in pie plate. To fit all the shrimp on the cooking grate at once, you’ll need large metal skewers. (Wooden skewers will likely burn.)
Serve with grilled crusty bread brushed with olive oil as an appetizer; add rice or couscous for a main course with a vegetable, as I did here.
 |
| Recipe reduced to accommodate 2 diners |
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds extra-large shrimp (21 to 25 per pound), peeled and deveined, tails on
2 - 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
1/4 teaspoon sugar
Your Favorite Sauce: Choose a favorite pre-made sauce or simply melt butter with garlic and some chili powder.
Instructions
Dissolve 2 tablespoons salt and sugar in 1 quart cold water in large container. Submerge shrimp in brine, cover, and refrigerate for 15 minutes. Remove shrimp from brine and pat dry with paper towels.
Thread shrimp onto metal skewers, alternating direction of heads and tails pushing them tightly together. Brush both sides of shrimp with oil and season lightly with salt and pepper. Sprinkle 1 side of each kebab with sugar.
Heat grill until hot, about 15 minutes. Heat one side to moderately high and the other to low. Clean and oil cooking grate.
Place sauce in the pie plate on the cooler side of the grill. Place the kebabs, sugared side down, on hotter grate; use tongs to push shrimp together on skewer if they have separated. Grill shrimp, covered, until lightly charred, 4 to 5 minutes. Using tongs, flip and grill until second side is pink and slightly translucent, 1 to 2 minutes longer.
Using pot holder or oven mitt, carefully lift each kebab from grill; use tongs to slide shrimp off skewers into pie plate with sauce. Toss shrimp and sauce to combine and cook, stirring, until shrimp are opaque and fully cooked, about 30 seconds. Remove from grill and transfer to serving platter or plates and serve immediately.
Comments
Post a Comment