Dan, Recipephany’s grillmaster, can make just about anything tender, juicy and deliciously smoky on his (t)rusty old Grill Master barbecue. Usually he just plays it by ear, mixing up rubs and sauces with seemingly random herbs and spices. He knows when something’s done by using common methods like an instant-read thermometer, and by being “open to vibrations in the ether.” But for his Marinated Grilled Shrimp, he sticks pretty closely to this recipe—although he rarely uses a measuring cup. And every time it comes out tangy, luscious and with a slight Italian accent. The secret is the simple marinade.
The fact that I often request Dan’s Marinated Grilled Shrimp attests to its magnificence. After all, I grew up in a shellfish-free home. I never cared much for crustaceans like shrimp or lobster. I much prefer fish. But this marinade turns what I used to think of as bland little creepy-crawlies from the ocean into luscious objects of desire. It’s truly miraculous.
We toyed with calling this dish, “Shrimp-Hater’s Shrimp.” So imagine how shrimp lovers will go for this easy, fast and fun dish.
Dan’s Marinated Grilled Shrimp
Serves two as a main course, more as an appetizer. Easily doubled, although you may not need to quite double the marinade.
- 1 pound jumbo or extra-jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined (frozen is fine)
- ½ cup olive oil, or enough to thoroughly coat shrimp
- 3 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped finely
- 2 cloves garlic, minced finely and made into almost a paste
- Juice of one small lemon
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 squirts of green hot sauce
- Wood chips for grilling (optional, but these add flavor)
- Whisk olive oil, parsley, garlic, lemon juice, tomato paste, salt, pepper, oregano and hot sauce in a medium bowl. Add shrimp, and mix to coat thoroughly. Marinate for ½ hour to 2 hours, refrigerating it if leaving it longer than ½ hour.
- Skewer lengthwise through the shrimp, or leave loose. Put onto an oiled, heated grill prepared with wood chips (optional).
- Grill on low heat, about 15 minutes a side, until shrimp is firm and nicely pink.
