Stopped by our local supermarket and meat-man Dan had a special on large shrimp. After some discussion, we shelved our original plans for dinner and decided to do some shrimp on the barbie. The last time I had grilled large shrimp was way back when we lived near Boston. I wasn’t even sure if you were supposed to leave the shell on or not. This warranted some internet searching. I found this recipe by Eric Ripert, who is one of my favorite chefs and knows his stuff. It was simple and I knew I could do it with ingredients on hand. This is my adaptation of his recipe from Food and Wine.
The only changes I made were I left out the basil because Laura does not like it. I used finely chopped onion instead of shallot and I did not use the rum because we did not have any, but I probably would had we had some.
Our shrimp were already deveined and the head was removed. (Good luck finding shrimp with the heads on in the USA anyway.)
I cut further through the shell and pressed them down so they would lay flat on the grill. Here you can see them getting seasoned after I flattened them out on the cutting board.
I started them out shell-side down and painted them with the herb butter causing a nice flare up on the grill. After a minute flipped them over for a few minutes. Then finished them shell-side down, painting on more herb-butter. I pressed on the meat to test for doneness. You want it firm but pliable. I cooked them a bit longer than the recipe suggests but our little grill here in Wisconsin is kind of wimpy.
Here they are looking scrumptious on the plate. Served ’em with Crimini Mushroom Rice Pilaf and Sauteed Zucchini. We only ate one each. Now I have to figure what to do with the left-overs.
Author: Eric Ripert
Serves: 2 |
Grilled Jumbo Shrimp with Garlic-Herb Butter Recipe |
INGREDIENTS
1 stick, unsalted butter – 4 ounces
1/4 cup, parsley – finely chopped
1/4 cup, basil – finely chopped
3 garlic cloves – finely chopped
1 shallot – finely chopped
4 jumbo shrimp – in the shell
Salt and freshly ground pepper
White rum – for sprinkling (optional)
METHOD
- In a small saucepan, combine the butter with the parsley, basil, garlic and shallot and melt over low heat.
- Light a grill or heat a grill pan. Halve the shrimp lengthwise, leaving them attached 1 inch below the head. Devein the shrimp and spread them open. Season with salt and pepper, then brush liberally with the herb butter.
- Grill the shrimp over a medium-hot fire, shell side down, until lightly charred, about 1 minute. Turn and grill the other side until lightly browned, about 40 seconds. Turn the shrimp again. Brush them liberally with more herb butter, sprinkle with rum and grill until barely cooked through and bubbling, about 1 minute longer. Serve at once.