I prepared a romantic dinner last night and the main course was spicy shrimp grilled on skewers and served with ice-cold champagne. It brought back fond memories and I wanted to share the secret of the very best shrimp you may ever eat. Deep Dale Lane is a Deep memory
Texas Broiled Shrimp
This is my all-time favorite shrimp recipe and it has never failed to please. The texture and flavor of the shrimp are both uniquely satisfying. It is one of the first meals I learned to make as a young man, borrowing the recipe from my father’s favorite cookbook. I greatly improved the original recipe which contained only vegetable oil, lemon, parsley and garlic. One time we grilled the skewers over a portable Hibachi at Scripps Park in La Jolla and the aroma nearly caused a riot. Here’s the recipe as it has evolved over the course of 40+ years:
Serve skewers at the table from the platter over a bed of Polenta, Rice Pilaf, or Quinoa with a side of grilled vegetable such as romaine lettuce, asparagus, zucchini or eggplant. I’d just love to have a local restaurant or food truck pick up on this recipe and I’d eat there once a week.
Inspired by the recipe for the Texas Broiled Shrimp in the cookbook:
American Cooking: The Great West (Foods of the World) by Jonathan N. Leonard and Time-Life Books 1968; sadly, out of print
TEXAS BROILED SHRIMP
YIELD: 4 dozen shrimp (4 Servings)
PREP: 20 mins
COOK: 15 mins
READY IN: 3 hrs 35 mins
Marinated spicy shrimp grilled on skewers
INGREDIENTS
2 lb uncooked medium-sized shrimp (about 21 to 25 to the pound)
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil salad dressing quality
1 whole Lemon Strained juice from one whole fresh lemon
1/8 cup Vermouth (2 Tablespoons) extra dry white vermouth (or any white wine)
6 cloves Garlic cloves peeled and crushed then finely minced
1 bunch Italian flat-leaf parsley finely chopped (leaves only, no stems)
1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
1 tsp Black Pepper Freshly ground black pepper
1 Tablespoon Dried Oregano crush the dried Oregano
1/2 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce (3 heavy dashes)
1 dash Cayenne Pepper optional, but really awesome
3 dashes Tabasco sauce optional, but equally awesome
INSTRUCTIONS
Shell the raw shrimp, leaving the tail and the last segment of shell intact. Devein the shrimp by making a shallow incision down their backs with a small sharp knife and lifting out the black or white intestinal vein with the point of the knife. (Or, Costco has Kirkland brand Raw Peeled deveined Tail-on frozen shrimp in 2 lb. bags -product of Vietnam 21-25 count per pound; Just defrost and squeeze out any excess water).
Combine the olive oil, lemon juice, wine, parsley, garlic, salt, pepper, Oregano and Worcestershire sauce (and optional hot stuff) in a glass bowl and mix well. Acid in the Lemon will toughen the shrimp if left too long. Consider adding the lemon juice at the table.
Drop in the shrimp and coat them evenly. Then cover the bowl tightly with aluminum foil or plastic wrap and marinate the shrimp in the refrigerator for about 3 hours, turning them over occasionally. You can also skip the bowl and marinate in a one-gallon Ziploc freezer bag.
Immerse 8 to 10 individual 10” Oriental bamboo skewers in water and soak them for at least an hour to prevent the skewers from faming up when the shrimp are broiled. Then light the grill and get it hot enough to create light grill marks on the shrimp. Or, preheat the broiler of your oven to its highest setting.
Remove the shrimp from the marinade and spear each one with a skewer (pierce the shrimp in two spots to keep it from twirling on the skewers; add the next shrimp to the skewer and repeat until the skewer is full). Reserve the marinade and boil on the stove or microwave for one minute. Use as a dipping sauce or chill and use later as a salad dressing for the leftover shrimp.
Texas shrimp
Broil/Grill the shrimp about 4 inches from the heat for 1 minute on each side, or until they are delicately browned. Shrimp should not be overcooked and they may even be underdone since the lemon also “cooks” them.
Arrange the skewered shrimp attractively on a heated platter and sprinkle them with more chopped parsley if desired. Serve at once.
Serve skewers at the table from the platter over a bed of Polenta, Rice Pilaf, or Quinoa with a side of grilled vegetable such as romaine lettuce, asparagus, zucchini or eggplant.
CUISINE: American
COURSE: Entrée
SKILL LEVEL: Easy