Grilled Shrimp with Charmoula Sauce

by Susan Hanna

This recipe from America’s Test Kitchen combines grilled shrimp with tangy charmoula, a condiment that originated in North Africa. For the sauce, combine pepper, onion and spices in a pan and cook until the vegetables soften. Add cilantro and lemon juice just before serving. Cook’s note: I made the sauce on the stovetop instead of the barbecue and I used parsley instead of cilantro. If you are using wooden skewers, be sure to soak them in water for at least 30 minutes so they don’t burn up on the grill.

Serves 4

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Check the dried spices to be sure they don’t contain colour or anti-caking agents. Use freshly squeezed lemon juice. Look for shrimp preserved in salt only. For more recipes using all-natural ingredients, visit Eye For a Recipe.

Ingredients:

Sauce

• 1 small red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and diced very small (about ½ cup/125 ml)
• 4 tablespoons (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
• ½ small red onion, minced (about ⅓ cup/82.5 ml)
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) paprika
• ½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) ground cumin
• ¼ teaspoon (1.25 ml) cayenne pepper
• 3 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 1 tablespoon/15 ml)
• ⅛ teaspoon (0.6 ml) table salt
• Disposable 10-inch (25-cm) aluminum pie plate
• ⅓ cup (82.5 ml) minced fresh cilantro leaves
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) fresh lemon juice from 1 lemon

Shrimp

• 1 ½ pounds (680 g) extra-large shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails left on
• 2-3 tablespoons (30-45 ml) olive oil for brushing skewers
• ¼ teaspoon (1.25 ml) sugar
• Lemon wedges for serving

Preparation:

Sauce

Combine oil, bell pepper, onion, paprika, cumin, cayenne, garlic, and salt in pan. Cook over hot side of grill, stirring occasionally, until vegetables soften, about 5 minutes (2 or 3 minutes longer if using gas grill); transfer to cooler side of grill and proceed to grill shrimp, adding cilantro and lemon juice just before serving.

Shrimp

1. Pat shrimp dry with paper towels. Thread shrimp onto 3 skewers, alternating direction of heads and tails. Brush both sides of shrimp with oil and season lightly with salt and pepper. Sprinkle one side of each skewer with sugar.
2. Light large chimney starter filled with charcoal and allow to burn until coals are fully ignited and partially covered with thin layer of ash, about 20 minutes. Empty coals into grill; build modified two-level fire by arranging coals to cover one-half of grill, piling them about 3 briquettes high, leaving other half empty. Position cooking grate over coals, cover grill, and heat until hot, about 5 minutes; scrape grate clean with grill brush.
3. Set disposable aluminum pie plate with sauce ingredients over hot side of grill and cook, stirring occasionally, until hot, about 1 ½ minutes; transfer plate to cooler side of grill. Place shrimp skewers, sugared sides down, on hot side of grate; use tongs to push shrimp together on skewer if they have separated. Grill shrimp, uncovered, until lightly charred, 4 to 5 minutes. Using tongs, flip and grill until second side is pink and slightly translucent, 1 to 2 minutes longer.
4. Using potholder or oven mitt, carefully lift each skewer from grill; use tongs to slide shrimp off skewers into pie plate with sauce. Toss shrimp and sauce to combine and transfer pie plate to hot side of grill; cook, stirring, until shrimp are opaque and fully cooked, about 30 seconds. Remove from grill, add remaining sauce ingredients and toss to combine. Transfer to serving platter and serve immediately with lemon wedges.

From America’s Test Kitchen