Hot on the heels of the Caribbean Compound Butter recipe I shared a couple days back, here’s the amazing shrimp recipe I promised. Succulent shrimp with deep flavors of butter and the Caribbean. WARNING! …your family and friends will DEMAND you make on the regular. Take the glory, Uncle Chrs doh mind.
Place the cleaned/deveind and washed shrimp (I like washing them in cool water with the juice of a lime or lemon and then drain) in a bowl, followed by the salt, black pepper and smoked paprika. Stir well with the olive oil.
I used a cast iron pan as I like the even way it heats up. However, any pan will work. Medium heat, then add the shrimp to the pot. Since we coated the shrimp with the olive oil, we’re using a dry pan. Make sure you stir them and cook for about one minute. They will curl and change color.
Add the compound butter (straight from the freezer) and stir well to coat the shrimp with that herb buttery goodness. It will take on a sort of creamy consistency.
2 minutes later and the shrimp will be perfect. Turn off the stove, toss in the lemon juice and chopped parsley.
Note! I added a chopped bird’s eye pepper at the end for an additional KICK to the shrimp (optional).
If you’re hosting friends this summer for a backyard BBQ, you’ll definitely want to ensure these grilled shrimp takes priority on your menu. A quick bath in a wicked fruity marinade, then we’ll grill them quickly over a propane flame (wood or charcoal works great too) so they fully cooked but still plump and juicy. The natural sugars from the orange and mango juice combined with the slight kick from the hot smoked paprika, will have your family and guests begging for more.
You’ll Need…
1 lb medium shrimp
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon hot smoked paprika
1 lemon (zest only)
1/2 teaspoon seas salt
1/4 cup orange juice
2 cloves garlic (crushed)
1 scallion (chopped fine)
4-6 sprigs thyme
1/3 cup mango juice
* Soak about 6-8 bamboo skewers in water for about 2 hrs.
* Learn how to peel and devein shrimp << Video Tutorial.
Peel and devein the shrimp, but try to leave on the tail part, rinse with cool water and get ready to marinate.
Then in a large bowl mix together all the other ingredients with a whisk, then go in with the cleaned shrimp. Allow the shrimp to marinate for about 10 minutes.. any longer and we risk the acid from the orange juice to start cooking them prematurely.
I usually use about 4 shrimp per skewer.. holding the thick side of the shrimp and treading it to just below the part of the shrimp where we didn’t peel off the shell (watch the video below). Depending on how large your shrimp are, you can use 3 or 4. Do remember to soak your bamboo skewers in water so they don’t burn easily on the grill. Yes you can always use metal skewers.
I started with one burner on my propane grill on high to bring it up to temperate, then a minute or two before I placed the shrimp on, I turned it down to low. I like grilling shrimp over a direct flame, but since they cook very quickly… it’s usually a low flame I employ. You can oil the grill before you start grilling so the shrimp won’t stick to the grate. Yes, I reserved the marinade for brushing onto the shrimp as they cook.
Over the direct flame (low) it will take between 5-6 minutes to cook and not be chewy. Baste with the marinade for the first couple minutes, then stop as we don’t want to put raw marinade over the shrimp when it’s close to being fully cooked. Remember to flip them a couple times.
The length of time you grill the shrimp will depend on how large your shrimp are, the intensity of the flame/heat and how you prefer your grilled shrimp to be. But using my method above is an excellent guide. Yes, you can grill these off on the stove-top in a greased grill pan with great success (just don’t crowd the pan).
At a recent dinner party I was challenged by friends to come up with a firecracker shrimp recipe, but with a Caribbean twist. Being that “challenge” is my second name.. I’m very competitive, a few days later I was in the kitchen loaded with ingredients to take that firecracker shrimp we enjoyed to a whole new level. They were good, but missing were a herbal note and true Caribbean sunshine (heat). Don’t call something ‘firecracker’ when there’s no actual heat but the sort of vinegar based hot sauce they market in North America. According to a pardna..”dem thing juss sour!.. no real heat”.
You’ll Need…
12 large shrimp (cleaned / deveined)
12 wonton wrappers (or 6 spring roll wrappers)
2 cups veg oil for frying
1 to 2 tablespoon pepper sauce (sriracha if that is your thing)
1 teaspoon Caribbean green seasoning
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 tablespoon Soy Sauce
1/4 teaspoon Sesame Oil
1/2 lime (juice and zest)
1 tablespoon white sugar
Tip: to straighten the shrimp (from natural curve) make 2 small cuts on the inside of the curve on the shrimp so they are easier to wrap and will not curl when you fry them.
After you’ve cleaned and de-veined the shrimp.. do leave on the tail ends for presentation and get ready to marinate. Add all the ingredients mentioned above except the veg oil and wrappers, mix well and marinate for 10 minutes.
It’s now time to wrap up these into succulent little packages in the wonton wrappers and fry them till golden brown. If you’re using spring roll wrappers, which are considerably bigger than wonton wrappers, cut them in half (in two triangles). To better understand the wrapping process it may be best if you watch the video below. Basically I dip my finger in the same marinade (you can use water) and run it along the edges of the wrapper so the moisture helps to seal it. Wrap each shrimp in the wrapper, with the tails exposed.
Heat the oil on a medium heat in a wide pan, then gently add about 4-6 to the now hot oil. Please don’t crowd the pan. Takes about 3-5 minutes to fully cook, but do remember to flip them so they brown on all sides. Simply remove out of the oil, place on paper towels to drain off the extra oil and continue frying the rest.
Try to serve warm to really get the rich flavors of the Caribbean bursting in your mouth as you tuck into them. I like serving it with a basic homemade peppers sauce!
If you make these in advance, you can reheat them when your guests arrive in your oven on a low heat (do NOT microwave). If that is the plan, I would recommend not cooking them fully when you originally fry them as you don’t want to shrimp to go like rubber on you.
Back to the dinner party and the challenge.. I’ve noticed that since I’ve been getting a lot of recognition for my escapades in the kitchen through all forms of media and with the recent success of my cookbook.. people are scared to host me now. They’re intimated to have me eat anything they have cooked.
After just one bite of Popeye’s popcorn shrimp many years ago I knew I had to find my own version of making this delicious snack. I needed something where I would control the ingredients used and as a son of the Caribbean soil, I knew it had to reflect our love for seafood and passion for rich flavors. But don’t take my word for it, give the recipe a test drive!
You’ll Need…
3 cups vegetable oil for frying
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1 cup dry bread crumbs (see note below)
1 tablespoon Caribbean green seasoning
1/4 scotch bonnet pepper (chopped finely)
1 clove garlic (crushed)
pinch teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 lb medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
Note: I like using crushed salted crackers instead of the bread crumbs.
Peel, devein and wash the shrimp (Video demohow to peel and devein shrimp). Then season with the Caribbean Green Seasoning, salt, crushed garlic, black pepper and finely chopped scotch bonnet pepper. Allow this to marinate for 10 minutes.
As the shrimp marinates, prepare the breading station. In a bowl place the bread crumbs (I like using crushed salted crackers as I find the texture and airiness is much better) , in another bowl you’ll have the flour and the final bowl you’ll whisk together the milk and egg.
Since these popcorn shrimp cooks very fast I suggest you bread all of them before you start frying. Each shrimp – dust in the flour, then the egg mixture, then roll in the bread crumbs (you may need to press them down into the bread crumbs a bit) and set aside.
Basically all you have to do now is deep or shallow fry these until they are golden brown. With my flame on medium/high (oil hot) I gently placed each shrimp (do in 2 batches to not over-crowd the pan) and cooked them for about 2-3 minutes on each side. Fish them out and place on paper towels to try and absorb some of the excess oil.
Serve warm with some Caribbean pepper sauce or any sort of dip you like using. (top with some chopped parsley and lemon wedges to make the dish look even more appetizing)
There’s enough popcorn shrimp here for 5 people as a snack and the recipe can easily be doubled if needs be. One bite and you’ll never go back to Popeye’s or anywhere else that serves popcorn shrimp.
Before you go, don’t forget to check out the latest cooking videos, connect with me on twitter and join our community on facebook. oh yea! leave me a comment below – it’s appreciated.
As we begin July’s month of grilling as we’ve done in the past, I thought I’d start off with a dish which is very easy to prepare and has the wonderful flavors of the Caribbean in every bite. Don’t be intimidated with the amount of scotch bonnet pepper we used as it’s well balanced with the earthy sweetness of the honey. If Tehya can come upstairs with clean bamboo skewers in hand and say “dad this shrimp was on point!”, I’m sure you can handle the little Caribbean sunshine of it all.
Notes: Wear gloves when handling scotch bonnet peppers and do remember to wash your hands immediately after with soap and water. Do NOT include any of the seeds and white membrane surround the seeds if you’re overly concerned about the raw heat. If doing this recipe gluten free, please go through the list of ingredients to ensure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs.
If you’re not sure how to peel and devein shrimp, watch this video…
There are really just two steps to preparing this dish (marinate and grill).. So let’s start off by marinating the shrimp. In a strong zipper bag or plastic container, place the cleaned shrimp and all the other ingredients. Give it a good toss and store it in the fridge for one hour.
As the shrimp marinates, I’d recommend soaking the bamboo skewers in water to help prevent them from burning while on the grill. After one hour, it’s just a matter of threading the shrimp onto the skewers and heading out to a relatively hot grill. If you have a grill pan, you can certainly make these indoors on your stove.
When I cleaned my shrimp I left a little bit of the tail/shell on, just for presentation purposes.. the choice is yours.
Lightly grease your grill surface to prevent sticking (I used cooking spray, but you can dampen a paper towel with vegetable oil and brush) then place the skewers on (medium/low flame) on one side for 3-4 minutes.
After which you’ll then flip them over and cook for another couple minutes. Try not to over-cook them and pay attention to any flare-ups which may cause them to burn. The lid of my grill was covered during the grilling process . Remember they will continue cooking with its residual heat after removing off the direct flame, so factor that in so you don’t end up with rubbery shrimp at the end.
Squeeze on some fresh lemon juice and enjoy! I got 5 skewers with the one lb of shrimp and that’s pretty much enough for 5 people (1 skewer had only 2 shrimp though). Your guests will be raving after just one bite, so I would definitely double up on the recipe (just the shrimp as there will be enough marinade) to accommodate their immediate addiction.
Don’t forget to check back all of this month for more exciting and taste-bud challenging recipes off the grill!
Before you go, don’t forget to check out the latest cooking videos, connect with me on twitter and join our community on facebook. oh yea! leave me a comment below – it’s appreciated.
As part of my “get ready for summer” series, I thought we’d start off with a tantalizing recipe for grilled shrimp skewers. I know many of you are shaking your head… saying “this is not a traditional” Caribbean dish, but I assure you this Caribbean twist of grilling shrimp will rock your socks off. After just a nibble and you’ll see why I decided to start the month of grilling with this appetizer. Be ready to amaze your guests when you guys gather this summer… go ahead and take all the credit! Be sure to have some good Lager on hand to wash these down.
You’ll Need…
1 lb 21-25 Shrimp (peeled/deveined)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 lemon (see note below)
1/2 scotch bonnet pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
juice of a lemon
1 teaspoon golden brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon allspice
2 leaves shado beni (see note below)
1 scallion (aka spring onion or green onion)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon grated ginger
Notes: The same lemon I used for grating the lemon zest, I used for the juice. When handling the scotch bonnet pepper be sure to wear gloves and don’t include any of the seeds. The area surrounding and including the seeds is where the real tempo of the pepper can be found. If you don’t have access to shado beni, you can use 2 to 3 tablespoons of freshly chopped cilantro. You can also add a tablespoon of fresh parsley as well if you like.
The first thing we need to do is peel and devein the shrimp. Basically all you do is remove the outer shell off the shrimp, then with the curve side up (like a rainbow) use a pairing knife to cut along the middle of the back (not too deep) until you see a dark sort of thread. Then under running water, wash that away. Here’s a video clip on how to peel and devein shrimp:
Wash and set the cleaned shrimp aside for a few minutes as we prepare the marinade. Chop the scallion, scotch bonnet pepper and shado beni as fine as you can and place it a deep bowl (we’ll do the marinating here). Now grate the lemon zest into the same bowl, then cut the lemon in half and squeeze in the juice. The final step is to add the salt, black pepper, all spice, olive oil, brown sugar, grated ginger and brown sugar and give it a good stir.
Place the cleaned shrimp into the bowl and give it a good stir. Cover with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge to marinate for about 10 minutes. Try not to go beyond 10 minutes as the lemon juice will start to cook the shrimp. Do remember to soak your bamboo (you’ll need about 10) in water for about 1/2 hr before you thread them with the marinated shrimp.
These are best served warm off the grill, so do keep that in mind before you start to grill. Since these shrimp skewers are meant to be an appetizer, we’ll thread 2 on each bamboo skewer. In the video below you’ll see how I went about this.
Set your grill to a medium/high heat, then brush the grilling grates with some oil. I had a small bowl with veg oil and using a long tongs with a piece of paper towel at the end, I brushed on the oil. This will prevent the shrimp skewers from sticking. Make sure you have a clean grilling surface.
Now place the shrimp skewers on the grill and cook for 2 minutes on each side over that medium heat. Don’t cook longer as they can go tough if overcooked. Do remember that they will continue cooking for a short period after they’re removed off the direct heat.
TIPS: Though we’ve soaked the bamboo skewers in water, they may still char (as in my pics), you can wrap tin foil over the exposed ends or grill with one burner, so the bamboo never gets in direct contact with the heat. Additionally, you can also spread a piece of tin foil across the grill to form a sort of protective barrier for the long exposed ends of the bamboo skewers.
If you’re wondering if these require a dipping sauce.. NO! The flavours we’ve created with the brown sugar, all spice, scotch bonnet pepper and ginger will challenge any taste bud to find something more exciting and delicious. And the hint of scallions, lemon zest and shado beni will give it a wonderful finishing kick! BTW if you’re not squeamish about reusing the marinade.. get a French stick (bread) and brush with this marinade and grill for a minute or two on medium/low heat!
Before you go, don’t forget to check out the latest cooking videos, connect with me on twitter and join our community on facebook. oh yea! leave me a comment below – it’s appreciated.
