June 29, 2013
Cook’s Country June/July issue
Grilled Jalapeño and Lime Shrimp Skewers
For June’s challenge, I did a full meal that included the main course of Grilled Chicken Leg Quarters, and two side dishes of Grilled Jalapeño and Lime Shrimp Skewers and Grilled Red Potato Skewers. This is the first dish:
Marinade:
1 jalapeño chile, stemmed, seeded, and minced
3 tablespoons olive oil
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon grated lime zest plus 5 tablespoons juice (3 limes)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (we didn’t have cayenne, so I used hot paprika, which worked beautifully.)
Shrimp:
1 1/2 pounds extra-large shrimp (21-25 per pound) peeled and deveined
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro
1. FOR THE MARINADE: Process all ingredients in food processor until finely ground, about 20 seconds. Reserve 2 tablespoons marinade for finishing cooked shrimp. Transfer remaining marinade to medium bowl.
2. FOR THE SHRIMP: Pat shrimp dry with paper towels, add to bowl with remaining marinade, and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 hour. Thread marinated shrimp tightly onto 4 skewers (8-9 shrimp per skewer) alternating direction of each shrimp. Sprinkle 1 side of shrimp skewers with sugar.
3. FOR GAS GRILL: Turn all burners to high, cover, and heat grill until hot, about 15 minutes. Leave primary burner on high and turn other burner(s) to low.
4. Clean and oil cooking grate. Grill shrimp sugared side down over hotter part of grill, uncovered, until lightly charred, 3-4 minutes. Flip skewers and move to cooler part of grill. Cover and continue to cook until shrimp are uniformly pink, 1-2 minutes.
5. Holding skewers with potholder, use tongs to slide shrimp off skewers into medium bowl. Add reserved marinade and toss to coat. Transfer shrimp to platter and sprinkle with cilantro. Serve.
Serves 4
(Note: I halved this recipe for just the 2 of us, and it worked just as tastily!)