Tag: shrimp

Grilled Garlic-Herb Shrimp

The recipe below came from Milk Street Magazine. I forgot to follow their tip of patting the shrimp dry before applying the sauce, but it didn’t seem to cause any problems. I will definitely make this recipe again, though I’ll reduce or omit the extra salt they said to add in step 4.

A simple puree of fresh herbs, garlic and olive oil does double duty in this recipe. It first coats the uncooked shrimp as a quick marinade. Then, with a splash of lemon juice stirred in, it’s drizzled on as a sauce after cooking. One large bunch or “clamshell” container of tarragon should yield the amount of tarragon leaves needed for this recipe. You can serve the shrimp on the skewers with crusty bread and a vegetable side, or slide them off the skewers and add them to grain or leafy green salads.
Ingredients
  • 1½ pounds jumbo shrimp (21/25 per pound), peeled, deveined and patted dry
  • 1 cup lightly packed fresh basil
  • ⅓ cup lightly packed fresh tarragon
  • 3 medium garlic cloves
  • 1½ teaspoons grated lemon zest, plus 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • Kosher salt and ground black pepper
  • ¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Directions
  1. Thread the shrimp onto eight 8- to 10-inch metal skewers, dividing them evenly; skewer each shrimp in a C shape, piercing through 2 points. Place the skewers on a rimmed baking sheet or in a large baking dish.
  2. In a blender, combine the basil, tarragon, garlic, lemon zest and ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Pulse until chopped. Scrape down the sides, add the oil and puree until bright green and almost smooth, about 30 seconds. Transfer to a small bowl.
  3. Prepare a charcoal or gas grill. For a charcoal grill, ignite a large chimney filled ¾ full of coals, let burn until lightly ashed over, then distribute the coals evenly over the grill bed; open the bottom grill vents and the lid vent. Heat the grill, covered, for 5 minutes, then clean and oil the cooking grate. For a gas grill, turn all burners to high and heat, covered, for 15 minutes, then clean and oil the cooking grate.
  4. In another small bowl, stir together ½ cup of the herb puree, 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper, then slather onto the shrimp, coating both sides. Grill the skewers until the shrimp turn opaque and are lightly charred, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip and continue to cook until the shrimp are just opaque, about another 2 to 3 minutes.
  5. Transfer the skewers to a serving platter. Stir the lemon juice into the remaining herb puree and drizzle over the shrimp.

Tip: Don’t forget to pat the shrimp dry before coating them with the herb puree; too much moisture will prevent it from clinging to them.

Eritrean Shrimp Thingie

From an old NYT restaurant review (I doubled it):

4 tablespoons olive oil
3 medium red onions, thinly sliced
4 to 6 cloves garlic, minced
5 very ripe and juicy tomatoes, chopped coarsely
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh basil (1 bunch)
15 pitted dates ( 1/2 cup), cut crosswise in thirds
3 tablespoons unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup half-and-half
1 pound medium shrimp (16 to 20), shelled and deveined
2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 1/2 cups cooked basmati rice
1. In a large, heavy pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions, and saute until wilted, about 10 minutes. Add garlic, and continue sauteing, stirring frequently to prevent sticking, for 2 minutes longer. Stir in the tomatoes, salt and pepper. Cover, and cook for about 5 minutes. [Uh, more like 25 minutes… -Ed.]
2. Add basil, dates and coconut, and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 5 more minutes. Add the half-and-half, cover and cook for 3 minutes.
3. Add shrimp to sauce. Cook, covered, until shrimp turns pink, about 5 minutes. Stir in the cheese, and then the rice, and serve immediately.