We got a one day break from our rainy weather and were able to fire up the grill so we could finally make the Grilled Shrimp with Garlic and Lemon recipe.
I was excited when I first read about the method of preparation that guaranteed the Grilled Shrimp with Garlic and Lemon would be plump , tender and perfectly juicy.
Sometimes shrimp can be dry and rubbery if grilled too long . I don’t know about you, I want nicely colored shrimp not anemic looking morsels but I also don’t want chewy, flavorless bites.
The cleaned shrimp is first treated with salt and baking soda. This helps them stay plump and juicy and also brown more efficiently as they grill.
Squeezing the shrimp together on a skewer gives them less surface area, which helps them stay juicier as they cook. Drying the shrimp uncovered for at least 1 hour in the refrigerator gives them a jump-start on browning.
Then they are tossed in a flavorful lemon garlic vinaigrette after cooking which gives the shrimp more flavor than a marinade.
From now on this method for Grilled Shrimp with Garlic and Lemon will be our only way to prepare grilled shrimp. The flavor was delicious and the texture of the shrimp was everything that was promised.
We wanted to carry on the fresh lemon garlic flavor so we made Grilled Zucchini and Strozzapreti with Lemon Vinaigrette. If you are unfamiliar with Stozzapreti it is an Italian twisted pasta, but I suppose you guessed that by the name 🙂 We will be posting that recipe soon.
Alla Prossima!
- 2 1/2 pounds large (15 -20 per pound) shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 Tablespoon kosher sat, plus more to taste
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 4 medium clover garlic, minced, divided
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 teaspoon zest and 4 teaspoons juice from 1 lemon
- 2 Tablespoons minced fresh Italian parsley leaves
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Combine baking soda, salt, and sugar in a medium bowl. Place shrimp in bowl and toss to coat. Thread the shrimp onto skewers, alternating heads to tails and pushing the shrimp so that they are nestled snugly together; you should have about 6 shrimp on each skewer. Lay skewers on top of a baking dish so that the shrimp are suspended above the bottom of the dish. Transfer to refrigerator and allow to rest for 1 hour. Meanwhile, combine half of garlic and half of olive oil in a small bowl. Combine remaining garlic, olive oil, lemon zest and juice, and parsley leaves in a large bowl. Set aside.
- When shrimp are ready to grill, brush both sides with garlic/oil mixture. Light gas grill and allow to preheat covered for 10 minutes or for charcoal grill until the coals are gray -- cover and allow it to preheat for 5 minutes. Be sure the grilling grates are clean and oiled.
- Place shrimp directly over the heat and cook, turning occasionally, until shrimp are just cooked through and charred, 4 to 5 minutes total. Take off the heat.
- Carefully remove the skewers from the shrimp and transfer to the bowl with garlic/oil/lemon mixture. Toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately.
- Adapted from Serious Eats Recipe of Grilled Shrimp with Garlic and Lemon
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