An act of true love.
Photography by Matt Sprague
Shrimp looks so innocent. This relatively inexpensive shellfish appears commonly on menus and in home kitchens. It cooks quickly and pairs well with so many flavors. But don’t be fooled by it’s ubiquity, shrimp is an act of true love.
Why? Often the size, origin or quality I am looking for does not match up with the availability of peeled and deveined shrimp. That means I have to do that job myself. This is the worst job in the kitchen, even worse than de-ribbing Lacinato kale, which is also pretty tedious.
So, the next time shrimp appears on the table in front of you, take a moment to give thanks for the quiet act of love performed in the kitchen. Then…eat up!
Soy sauce and citrus shrimp
Serves 6
Rich soy sauce, sweet and tart orange and citrus juice and zest and fresh jalapeño and cilantro make these shrimp full-flavored while light and summery. Serve them as an appetizer, tuck them in tortillas with a sesame and rice wine vinegar slaw, and make extra to enjoy over salad for lunch the next day!
Photography by Sam Armocido
Ingredients:
1/2 cup soy sauce
½ tsp lime zest
¼ tsp orange zest
1/2 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
1/2 cup lime juice. About 2 limes.
1/2 cup unseasoned rice wine vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 whole scallions, thinly sliced
1 jalapeño, sliced into rounds
1/4 cup + 2 tbs chopped cilantro
1 tbs toasted sesame oil
1/2 tsp salt
2 ½ pounds 21-25 count shrimp
Photography by Sam Armocido
Directions:
If using wooden skewers, soak in water.
Whisk together all ingredients, except shrimp and tbs additional cilantro, in a bowl.
Peel and devein shrimp, if needed, and place in a freezer bag. Pour marinade over shrimp. Seal the bag, place in clean bowl, and refrigerate for 20 minutes. If not grilling right away, remove shrimp from marinade after 20 minutes and refrigerate.
Remove shrimp from marinade and skewer. Pierce each one twice, so they don’t spin when you turn them.
Using a hot grill, cook shrimp over direct heat for 1-2 minutes per side until opaque.
Remove from heat, toss with 2 tbs fresh cilantro and serve with additional lime wedges.
TIP: The proteins in seafood are delicate. Leaving the shrimp in the marinade for longer than 20-30 minutes doesn’t deliver more flavorful shrimp it just turns the proteins from tender into mush.
TIP: The count with shrimp (21-25, 26-30 etc…) refers to the number per pound. The lower the count, the larger the shrimp. If you can’t find 21-25s just go up or down a size.
