Grilled Jalapeño and Lime Shrimp Skewers
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS We wanted tender, juicy, shrimp with a smoky, charred crust and chile flavor that
was more than just superficial. To achieve this, we sprinkled one side of the shrimp
with sugar to promote browning and grilled this side over the hot side of the grill
for a few minutes and then flipped the skewers to finish gently cooking on the cool
side of the grill. Creating a flavorful marinade that doubled as a sauce gave our
shrimp skewers a spicy, assertive kick. And butterflying the shrimp before marinating
and grilling them opened up more shrimp flesh for the marinade and finishing sauce
to flavor. See the sidebar that follows the recipe.
SERVES 4
We prefer flat metal skewers that are at least 14 inches long for this recipe.
|
MARINADE |
|
|
1–2 |
jalapeño chiles, stemmed, seeded, and chopped |
|
3 |
tablespoons olive oil |
|
6 |
garlic cloves, minced |
|
1 |
teaspoon grated lime zest plus 5 tablespoons juice (3 limes) |
|
½ |
teaspoon ground cumin |
|
¼ |
teaspoon cayenne pepper |
|
½ |
teaspoon salt |
|
SHRIMP |
|
|
1½ |
pounds extra-large shrimp (21 to 25 per pound), peeled and deveined |
|
½ |
teaspoon sugar |
|
1 |
tablespoon minced fresh cilantro |
1. FOR THE MARINADE: Process all ingredients in food processor until smooth, about 15 seconds. Reserve 2 tablespoons marinade; transfer remaining marinade to medium bowl.
2. FOR THE SHRIMP: Pat shrimp dry with paper towels. To butterfly shrimp, use paring knife to make shallow cut down outside curve of shrimp. Add shrimp to bowl with marinade and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 hour.
3A. FOR A CHARCOAL GRILL: Open bottom vent completely. Light large chimney starter filled with charcoal briquettes (6 quarts). When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour evenly over half of grill. Set cooking grate in place, cover, and open lid vent completely. Heat grill until hot, about 5 minutes.
3B. FOR A GAS GRILL: Turn all burners to high, cover, and heat grill until hot, about 15 minutes.
4. Clean and oil cooking grate. Thread marinated shrimp on skewers. (Alternate direction of each shrimp as you pack them tightly on skewer to allow about a dozen shrimp to fit snugly on each skewer.) Sprinkle 1 side of skewered shrimp with sugar. Grill shrimp, sugared side down, over hot side of grill (covered if using gas), until lightly charred, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip skewers and move to cool side of grill (if using charcoal) or turn all burners off (if using gas), and cook, covered, until other side of shrimp is no longer translucent, 1 to 2 minutes. Using tongs, slide shrimp into clean medium bowl and toss with reserved marinade. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.