spicy shrimp Archives | CaribbeanPot.com

As promised when we made that wicked Green Scotch Bonnet Pesto, here’s the shrimp dish you’ll want to give a test-drive. The natural sweetness of the shrimp is a good balance for the fiery scotch bonnet pesto and by keep the shell on the shrimp.. we’ll have them remain plump and juicy. As mentioned when we made the scotch bonnet pesto, this is not a traditional Caribbean recipe, but something I’ve developed.

You’ll Need…

1-2 lbs shrimp (large – head + shell on)
1 lemon (washing the shrimp)
1/2 lemon
2 tablespoon veg oil
2 tablespoon parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 cloves garlic
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 heaping tablespoon Green Scotch Bonnet Pesto
1/ teaspoon smoked paprika

Important! I used shrimp with the shell and heads on as I wanted the flavor the shell provides when cooked, plus it acted as a means of protecting the shrimp from over-cooking. No, I did not devin the shrimp (too lazy) but you’re free to do so.

Trim off the long feelers (not sure what the correct term is) and wash well with the juice of a lemon and some cool water. Drain and set aside. Then heat the oil on a low flame in a wide pan. I opted to do this dish outside as I know a well ventilated room will be needed due to the fumes when the pesto hits the heated oil. If you’re doing this indoor, open a window and turn on the fan over your stove. Go in with the garlic and cook for about 25 seconds. We don’t want to burn the garlic.

Then start adding the clean shrimp to the pot (raise the heat to med high) and stir well.

Go in with the black pepper and salt and after about 2 minutes, add the smoked paprika. Keep tossing around so the shrimp cooks evenly.

It’s now time to add the Green Scotch Bonnet Pesto and stir well. Cook for another two minutes to combine all the flavors, then turn off the stove. Immediately after, go in with the parsley and squeeze in the juice of 1/2 a lemon. You’re done!

Serve as you would any shrimp dish, but my fave way is to dip crusty bread in the sauce which forms at the bottom of the pan and get messy ripping apart the shells etc. Excellent with cold beer on the side.. just saying.

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Seafood

Classic Island Pepper Shrimp.

June 21, 2017May 10, 20174 Comments

Another Pepper Shrimp recipe Chris? Yea, it’s definitely one of my weaknesses when it comes to snacking. We’ve gone though about 4 different styles of pepper shrimp to date, but I must admit that this one is my absolute favorite. And to be quite honest, it’s not only super easy to make, it’s also super-quick to put together. On it’s own as a snack, as a side to fried rice or stir fried noodles or on sandwiches, you’ll love this shrimp recipe. You can be the BOSS when it comes to how HOT you make it.

You’ll Need…

1 lb medium shrimp
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/3 teaspoon salt
1 heaping tablespoon corn starch
2 scotch bonnet peppers
3 cloves garlic
3 scallions
2 cups veg oil (for frying)
2 tablespoon veg oil

Peel, devein and wash the shrimp.Drain dry and coat with the black pepper, salt and corn starch.

This will cook very fast, so I’d recommend preparing the other ingredients in advance. Finely chop the garlic, scallions and scotch bonnet peppers. Be mindful that if you include the seeds from the peppers it will increase the heat level and kindly do yourself a favor and wash your hands with soap and water immediately after handling such hot peppers.

Heat the oil for ‘frying’ on medium/high. Since the shrimp is coated with the cornstarch they may tend to stick together. Fry for a minute or so and set aside. DON’T over cook!

In a new pan heat the 2 tablespoons of veg oil on a very LOW heat and then go in with the other ingredients. We want to gently allow the flavors of the garlic, scallions and scotch bonnet to come together. Cook on low for 3-5 mins, then add the cooked shrimp and toss well to coat. Since it’s important that we don’t over-cook the shrimp, as they heat through you can take the pot off the stove.

Serve warm for the best flavors.. if reheating, I’d recommend doing so in the oven and not a microwave. As mentioned above, this is my favorite pepper shrimp recipe to date and I’m very positive you’ll be a superstar when you serve this up with some cold beers.

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Seafood

Pepper Shrimp Recipe – Memories Of Korea.

August 18, 2015August 18, 20151 Comment

Tehya and I had the pleasure of being hosted by the City and Mayor of Seoul Korea a couple years ago and it was one of the most amazing culinary and cultural experiences we’ve ever had. You know a trip is starting off on a good note, when on your 14hr flight your first meal comes with a tube of peppersauce (Gochujang)! A rich, deep pepper paste with a hint of fermentation, balanced by the gentle heat of the peppers and an undertone of soy (sauce). This recipe is in memory of the beautiful people f Korea and the way the City of Seoul catered to our many senses and opened the door for my awareness of the rich culinary culture of Asia.

You’ll Need…

1 lb medium shrimp
2 scallions
1 scotch bonnet
2 birds eye pepper
2 cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon grated ginger
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 table spoon Soju
2 table spoon Korean chili paste (Gochujang)
1 teaspoon soy sauce (light)
pinch of salt

Tips: Substitute Chinese cooking wine for Soju, add fish sauce instead of salt and tomato paste (1 teaspoon) for the Korean chili paste.

Prep you ingredients .. clean and devein the shrimp, chop the garlic finely, slice the scotch bonnet pepper (wash you hands with soap after), chop the scallions and grate the ginger.

Heat the oil in a non-stick pan or wok on a low flame, then go in with the garlic and the ‘white’ ends of the scallions. Allow it to gently cook for a couple minutes.

Add the scotch bonnet pepper as well as the Bird’s eye chili (bird pepper in the Caribbean) – open your kitchen window and turn on the exhaust fan above your stove if you have one, as the fumes with the frying pepper will be extreme.

Please note that I included the seeds of the pepper for that EXTRA kick, but you can exclude them if you’re ‘shy’ of real Caribbean sunshine. Turn the heat up to medium and add the shrimp. Stir well and cook until they turn pink (about 3-4 mins).

Now add the soy sauce, pepper paste and a pinch of salt (I didn’t mention it in the ingredient list.. but you can balance things with a pinch of sugar if you want).

Stir well and cook for 2 minutes, then add the Soju and top with the green parts of the scallion. Stir well.. turn off the stove and get ready to enjoy a perfect example of East meets West (Korea + Caribbean) in the form of a brilliant pepper shrimp.

Quite honestly, I enjoyed these as they were, but as a meal you can place this on a bed of steamed rice and you’ll have a delightful (but spicy) meal. A great snack (we say Cutters or cuttas in the Caribbean) for when you’re enjoying some adult beverages with friends.

The Caribbean will ALWAYS be “home” for me, but I’m quite intrigued by the possibility of calling Korea (or maybe another Asian country) home for a little while. The food, culture, people and SHOPPING is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced to date.

Seafood

Firecracker Shrimp Wantons Recipe.

July 10, 2015February 22, 20154 Comments

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.

Gluten Free Seafood

Fiery Scotch Bonnet Honey Grilled Shrimp.

December 13, 2014July 3, 20135 Comments

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.

You’ll need…

1 pound large shrimp or prawns, peeled and deveined (16-20)
2 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoon olive oil
2 Scotch Bonnet pepper, diced
1 teaspoon fresh minced garlic
1 scallion chopped finely

* pinch of sea salt (or any salt you have)

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.

spicy shrimp

Green Scotch Bonnet Pesto Shrimp.

Classic Island Pepper Shrimp.

Pepper Shrimp Recipe – Memories Of Korea.

Firecracker Shrimp Wantons Recipe.

Fiery Scotch Bonnet Honey Grilled Shrimp.

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