Shrimp on the barbie

I love seafood.  Growing up on the east coast of the United States, seafood is a way of life.  I grew up right on the Chesapeake Bay where all kinds of seafood is abundant. 

One of my favorite's is shrimp.

You can cook shrimp many ways, boil, stir fry, bake and even on the grill.  I've done this recipe inside on my indoor grill and when the weather permits, outside.  It is easy and you can change the ingredients to whatever you like. 

So for Victoria's shrimp on the barbie you will need:

 - Shrimp - I bought a bag of pre-cooked, frozen.  Jumbo size
 - Skewers.  I have metal ones that I bought at BB & Beyond.  You can use wooden, if you do you will need to soak them for at least 30 minutes in cold water.  Otherwise they will burn.
 - Seasonings.  Your choice here, pick things that go together.  I used Old Bay, honey, lemon juice, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, natural coconut and dried chives. 
 - Liquor.  Again your choice, the alcohol will burn off so it is the flavor you want.  I used whiskey but you could use tequila, lemon cello or a flavored rum, vodka or wine. You could also skip the liquor and use barbeque sauce, jelly, marmalade or a jam.  I think orange marmalade or jam/jelly would be fantastic on the shrimp! 
 - A small bowl
 - A whisk
 - A brush to brush your seasonings onto the shrimp.
 - A hot pad or oven mitt
 - A plate
 - Non stick cooking spray

First and foremost, start your grill and get the burners going.  I have an old grill without a temperature gauge but I put the flame on what I consider medium heat.

Place your froze shrimp in a colander and run it under cold water.  You just want to de-ice the shrimp and start the de-thaw process.  If you bought fresh shrimp make sure they are peeled and de-veined as well as washed under cold water.  Let the shrimp drain then pat them dry with a paper towel. Set the shrimp aside.

Next, in a small bowl assemble your ingredients.  For my bag of shrimp I used the following:
1/4c of honey
1/4 c of whiskey
1 TBSP of Old Bay (this is a seafood seasoning)
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. dried chives
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp. natural coconut

I then mixed the ingredients together with a whisk until the honey was dissolved.

If you are using metal skewers like I did make sure you spray them with a non-stick spray. 
Now you are ready to assemble the shrimp.

Taking a shrimp you skewer it through the meatiest part of the body then through the shrimp again near the tail.  I put 4 -5 shrimp on each skewer.  Do not squish them together, let them breathe on the skewer! 

Now lay all the skewers on a flat surface and salt and pepper each side of the shrimp.
You are now ready to grill!  Make sure you have a hot pad or oven mitt as the metal skewers get hot and the wooden ones may need to be picked up directly from the grill.

Place your shrimp on the grill as evenly spaced apart as you can. I put mine on an angle.  Using your brush, dip it in your bowl of yummy honey/liquor seasoning and brush the shrimp liberally on one side.  Close the lid of the grill and check them every minute to make sure they aren't burning and that you don't need to lower your flame. 

After 3 minutes, use your oven mitt or hot pad to flip the shrimp.  Repeat the brushing part - liberally you really want the shrimp to get all that good seasonings.  Close the lid again for another 3 minutes. 
Fresh shrimp may take about 4 minutes on each side - you be the judge, nice bright pink/orange shrimp are ones that are done!  For the pre-cooked and frozen you just want to make sure they are heated through. 
After they have cooked, using a fork slide the shrimp off each skewer and enjoy! 
I like this recipe because you can change up the seasoning.  I've made them using tequila and lime only.  I've made them with orange marmalade and chopped grilled peaches - yummy in my tummy!  If I've got smaller kiddo's around I will possibly make them using barbeque sauce. 

Again, here are the steps.
1 - Prepare your shrimp by either de-icing or peel and de-vein.  Rinse them under cold water then pat them dry with a paper towel
2 - Start your grill!
3 - Prepare your seasonings





4 - Skewer your shrimp

5 - Salt and pepper each side of the shrimp

6 - Place the skewered shrimp on the grill and using a brush and your seasonings liberally brush each side of the shrimp.  Remember each grills cooking times vary so keep a watch to make sure you don't burn the shrimp.  I did my pre-cooked shrimp for 3 minutes on each side on medium heat.

7 - ENJOY! 

I hope you give this recipe a try.  It is fairly easy to do and doesn't take a lot of time or effort for something that is a tasty treat! 

As always, you can follow me on Facebook at -
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Dragonflies-and-Thistles/491393717621010

I'm also on Pintrest (and much more active here) -
http://www.pinterest.com/vicdenniso/

You can also follow me directly here on the blog at -
www.dragonfliesandthistles.blogspot.com

Thanks so much for stopping by.  I'll be back next week with some ideas for fall decorating, yes I am already thinking fall! 
Till then, be safe!
Victoria