It has been hot hot HOT in San Diego the past few weeks. And when its hot, I grill. I grill things like these Grilled Shrimp with Sundried Tomato Gremolata.
I actually didn’t own a grill until a year ago – can you believe that? Dave and I had just had our son and I was on maternity leave and getting aggressively into my DIY projects around the house (I’ll have to tell you about how I built a fence another time). But basically there was no time or energy left for standing in a sweltering kitchen, cooking.
So when my parents came out to visit, one of the first things we did was head on over to Home Depot and buy ourselves a grill.
And it’s definitely become my number one favorite thing.
I’m sure I don’t have to wax poetic about how much I love grilling, because everyone else already knows. (But you know I will anyway, haha!) Oh Weber, you make dinner the easiest and most mess free thing ever….
Ahem… ignore me…
But seriously, I’m convinced that you can throw anything on there and have it come out way tastier than before.
And it’s just absolutely perfect for months like July when you really want nothing to do with turning on your oven or stove because your air conditioner is barely keeping up as is.
Picking out Shrimp
Because this recipe is so simple, I really encourage you to go with the highest quality of seafood that you can reasonably afford. Shrimp is one of those weird foods though, that is actually fresher if you buy frozen. So before you run off to Whole Foods to buy the defrosted stuff at the counter, hear me out.
Shrimp is almost always flash frozen immediately after being caught. So when you’re buying it defrosted at the seafood counter, you’re already dealing with aging shrimp. Now, if it’s a reputable market, it’s probably defrosted very recently and won’t be the end of the world, but you really have no concept of how long it has been sitting out, so for best results I recommend purchasin frozen when possible.
For a recipe like this I do recommend using jumbo shrimp. The large size are easier to grill and will make a more beautiful presentation.
How to defrost: just place the frozen shrimp in a bowl of cold (not warm and definitely not hot!) water. You can refresh the water a few times. It will only take a few minutes and your shrimp should be fully defrosted.
Pat dry with paper towels before using.
Gremolata
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Gremolata is an Italian fresh herb condiment, classically made from parsley, garlic, and lemon. It’s often used as a topping for meat dishes, to balance out the richness.
My version is definitely a riff on the classic, using a combination of parsley and garlic, but also adding in sundried tomatoes, and replacing lemon flavors with red wine vinegar.
The vinegar really makes this sing, in my opinion, so please don’t skip it. You can definitely use whatever basic stuff you have on hand, but I particularly enjoy this Spanish Cabernet Sauvignon Vinegar. It’s less aggressive and fruitier than a lot of normal red wine vinegars at the store. It also makes great salad dressings!
Hope you enjoy this one as much as we did, and think about making it over the weekend for your family!
(Also- Stay tuned for future tips on making the grilled polenta!)
Grilled Shrimp with Sundried Tomato Gremolata
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Jumbo Shrimp defrosted, peeled, and deveined
- 1/2 cup olive oil extra virgin, plus a bit more
- 1 clove garlic sliced thin
- 1/4 cup sundried tomatoes packed in oil, minced
- 2 tbsp good red wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp parsley minced
- salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste
Instructions
- Soak 6-8 wooden skewers in a 9×13 pan filled with water for about 15-20 minutes as you prepare the gremolata.
For the Gremolata
- Pour olive oil into small saute pan. Add garlic to the cold oil, then turn heat to low. Saute garlic for about 2 minutes, or until just starting to soften, but before browning. Remove immediately from heat and pour into a heat safe container to cool.
- When oil has cooled, add minced sundried tomato, vinegar, and parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside. (May make and store in advance, up to 3 days).
To Grill the Shrimp
- Next, preheat your grill to 500 and prepare the shrimp. Pat shrimp dry with a paper towel. Add to mixing bowl and toss with a glug of olive oil, and some salt and pepper. Thread onto soaked wooden skewers.
- Place shrimp onto hot grill and cover. Cook shrimp for about 3 minutes, then flip. Cook for about another 3 minutes on the next side – or until shrimp appears fully pink on both sides. Timing is less important than monitoring the color as all grills will cook at a different rate. Be careful not to overcook.
- Remove from grill and serve topped with the gremolata, with additional on the side.
4 comments
Wowowowowow! Jeez these look so good. The whole platter. All of the photos. Lovely recipe!
Thank you so much Mimi! We LOVED these!
Wowzers! those prawns, so drooling here now
haha, thanks Raymund!