Recipe: Great Grilled Spicy Shrimp

Great Grilled Spicy Shrimp

Makes 4 servings

"Great" is no overstatement. Soaking the shrimp in the brine before cooking plumps them up so they are incredibly moist and juicy when they come off the grill. The spicy seasonings are perfect for the sweetness of the shrimp. Purchasing shelled and deveined shrimp makes the preparation of this dish go very quickly.

1 cup kosher salt
2-1/3 pounds large shrimp, shelled,
leaving the tail and the first
shell next to the tail intact, deveined
1 tablespoon chili powder
1-1/2 teaspoons paprika (preferably Hungarian)
1-1/2 teaspoons packed dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon dry ground mustard (preferably Colman's)
Scant 1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Lemon wedges

1. In a small saucepan, bring 2 cups water to a boil. Place the kosher salt in a large heatproof bowl. Add the boiling water and stir until the salt is mostly dissolved. Add 6 cups ice water (with ice cubes) to the bowl and stir until the salt completely dissolves. Add the shrimp and let stand for 45 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together the remaining ingredients, except for the lemon wedges. Set aside.

3. Drain and rinse the shrimp thoroughly under cold running water. Arrange them in a single layer on a jelly-roll pan and sprinkle with half the spice mixture. Turn the shrimp over and sprinkle with the remaining spice mixture. Thread the shrimp onto 4 long metal skewers.

4. Prepare a fire in the grill. When the coals are covered with a light ash, spread them in an even layer. Oil the grill rack, place it 5 to 6 inches over the coals and preheat the rack for 5 minutes.

5. Place the skewers on the grill and cook for 3 minutes. Turn and cook for 3 minutes more, or until the shrimp are pink and offer resistance when pressed. Serve the shrimp immediately on the skewers, with the lemon wedges.

Nutritional information per serving: 258 calories (16% from fat), 4.5 g fat (0.8 g saturated fat), 49 g protein, 4.9 g carbohydrate, 349 mg cholesterol, 566 mg sodium.

Cooking Tip: If you are going to serve the shrimp cold, make sure to coat them with as much of the spice mixture as possible, since chilling dulls the flavor.

Lean Suggestion: Serve with spring peas and sliced ripe tomatoes. I ask my guests to shell the peas. A margarita made with good tequila doesn't hurt, either.

A Guy's Guide to Great Eating
Big-flavored, Fat-Reduced
Recipes for Men Who Love to Eat
By Don Mauer
Houghton Mifflin Company
Paperback, $17.00
350 pages, June 1999
ISBN: 0-395-91536-8
Recipe Reprinted by permission.