Paul Sidoriak on August 17, 2016 0 Comments Shrimp with rosemary skewers are a perfect dish for the summer grilling menu. Often, at the peak of the growing season, the rosemary plant will grow to resemble a small bush. This fragrant herb is ideal for adding flavor to any dish on your grilling menu because it is full of oil which releases during the cooking process and complements the flavors that grilling over direct heat adds to your food. Selecting Rosemary to Use as a Skewer Rosemary purchased at the store in small bundles is often young and very fresh. It has a supple, tender stalk that can be easily broken with your fingers. In comparison, rosemary that has grown for many months to a larger size has more of a woody stalk and is much more challenging to break without scissors or a sharp knife. Regardless of the age of the rosemary and the thickness of its stem, the herb’s needle-like leaves strongly resemble pine needles and provide a savory aroma. The older plants’ woody stalks work well for skewering thicker meats and vegetables. The younger stalks are not quite as durable, but either are fantastic for skewering shrimp. Preparation: If shrimp are frozen, allow them to defrost. An easy way to do this is to let them sit in a very cold water bath for 30-40 minutes. I try to purchase de-veined shrimp with the shells still on. Whether your shrimp come de-veined or not, it is good practice to run a sharp paring knife up the back of the shrimp, creating a slight crack in the shell and exposing the vein which runs from head to tail. A combination of removing it with your fingers and rinsing the area with cold running water seems to work best. Be sure to keep your shrimp cool until you are ready to grill. Make sure to leave the shells on the shrimp if possible as they provide both a perfect heat shield and extra punch of flavor. Using the bottom of the rosemary sprig, skewer the shrimp directly through the middle, halfway between the head and tail in the opening where the vein was and slide it half way up the skewer. The rosemary leaves may bunch up a bit but fortunately, they will lie down like a closed umbrella, allowing the shrimp to slide on relatively easily. Skewer two shrimp per sprig. During grilling, the shrimp will curl closed and turn from translucent gray to a beautiful pink. The rosemary will char and darken, transforming from sage or pine green to nearly black in some places. It’s easy to arrange the finished skewers into an aromatic, artistic presentation on almost any plate or serving dish. Ingredients You Will Need: 1 pound of size 16/20 shrimp, de-veined 1 bundle rosemary (8 pcs) Making the Marinade: 1 medium shallot, minced 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard 3 tablespoons of your favorite vinegar 1 tablespoon water ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil Salt and pepper Dried herbs (optional) Directions: Combine marinade ingredients minus oil in a large bowl. Drizzle and whisk in oil until smooth and emulsified. Add shrimp to marinade for 15 minutes while your grill is heating up. Skewer two shrimp on a sprig of rosemary. Skewer remaining shrimp and cook over direct heat for 3-5 minutes, basting occasionally with leftover marinade. Oil from rosemary will perfume the grilled shrimp and the rosemary sprig will make a wonderful presentation.
