Happy Monday 
Hey, guess what?
It’s almost summer! I know. Just trust me on this one. No, don’t look outside. That whole rain thing will just confuse you. What you need to focus on is this.
Summer. Grilling. It is upon us!
Since there are no backyards or patios in culinary school, we learned the basics of grilling right in our kitchen classroom on grill-pans over burners. Unlike what would happen if I used a grill pan in my apartment (picture black smoke everywhere, fire alarms going off, and Cara and I crawling on the floor to find each other), culinary school has a magical ventilation system that makes sure all the smoke is whisked away so we can keep our sanity, and our lungs.
And make beautiful dishes like this:
Grilled shrimp brochette, grilled asparagus, fennel, red onion and potato.
While I regretfully don’t have access to a grill in NYC, I do love going home during the summer to break out my parent’s grill and experiment with throwing all sorts of things on there! Grilling is actually quite new to me, but I’m quickly learning that it’s a really fun, social, and extremely easy way to cook food. Plus, cooking outside is always a bonus.
Ever since I had a cook-out for my birthday a few years back and made some lemon-olive oil grilled shrimp, these little crustaceans have been one of my favorite foods to throw on the grill. They cook fast and easily, are hard to mess up, and are so light and refreshing – a perfect summertime match. And this new grilling technique culinary school (check out the recipe based from MSNBC.com below!) elevates basic grilled shrimp to the next level. Cooked on a skewer made from a fresh rosemary stem with a few leaves still attached, and interspersed with bay leaves, these lemony, garlicky shrimp are perfumed with the woody, fragrant flavors of these herbs – the ideal match for something cooked outside. And the grape tomatoes get charred, caramelized and super sweet from roasting on the grill. Trust me on this – make these skewers once for a family barbecue or casual backyard dinner and they’ll become a grilling staple in your household for many summers to come!
Grilled Shrimp on Rosemary Skewers- Makes 4 Servings
Adapted from Mark Bittman’s recipe on MSNBC
You’ll need:
- 1 1/2 pounds of raw shrimp, peeled and de-veined
- 4 springs of fresh rosemary, largest available (each about 12 inches long, or double the quantity if shorter sprigs are used), needles removed except for the very top
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lemon, juiced
- Veggies of choice for in between the shrimp; great with cherry tomatoes, zucchini or peppers
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Chopped parsley for garnish
Method:
Start your grill or heat up your grill pan. Strip the leaves from all but the top two inches of each of the rosemary branches. Reserve the leaves and mince about one tablespoon of them.
Combine the minced rosemary, olive oil and garlic on a large platter. Peel the shrimp and devein them. Sprinkle them with salt and pepper, and toss them, along with your veggie of choice, on the platter with the olive oil mixture. Juice the lemon and sprinkle the juice over the shrimp.
When you’re ready to grill, skewer the shrimp on the rosemary branches, alternating every shrimp with a veggie. Grill the shrimp about two minutes per side, and serve with a little of the marinade spooned over them and a sprinkling of parsley.
Once removed from grill, let rest for a few minutes, and enjoy!
These look yummy. Wish it would warm up and stop raining long enough for it to feel more like late spring and not like late fall! Thanks for the recipe. Can’t wait to try it!