Caribbean Jerk Shrimp

I was recently invited to a friend’s for a Jamaican themed dinner and she requested I make some kind of shrimp. After looking through a few recipes I came upon one from Eatyourselfskinny.com that I thought fit the bill. I did some tweaks to the marinade and eliminated the cauliflower rice for my pupposes (we already had real rice and beans on the menu) and made the shrimp. I’ve been a little negative on coking shrimp lately - they just seem to cook too fast and come out dry and, while I love them as shrimp cocktail, I haven’t found that many flavorful, interesting recipes that keep the shrimp moist and yummy. What I really like about this dish is that you can cook the shrimp beforehand and serve at room temperature. Makes having a dinner party super easy.

I served it the shrimp in a bowl with sides of cilantro, extra jalapeño, lime and marinade on the side.

Ingredients

2 1/2 lbs shrimp

1/2 cup of olive oil

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

1/2 cup fresh squeezed orange juice

1/4 cup honey

6 Tablespoons low sodium soy sauce

1/2 cup scallions, chopped (probably about a bunch - just use the white parts)

1/4 cup chopped jalapeños - depending on size, usually about 4 jalapenos

Limes wedges to serve - I cut up about 6 of them into 1/4s and had on the side in a bowl.

Jerk Seasoning

2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon dried thyme

2 teaspoons paprika

1/2 teaspoon allspice

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Salt & Pepper

Directions

Make the jerk seasoning first. Then, in a mason jar (so you can shake it) or a glass bowl, mix in the olive oil, red wine vinegar, orange juice, honey, soy sauce, scallions, jalapeño and jerk seasoning. Mix well. I like to just use a mason jar and shake it but you could use a mini blender or a whisk it in a bowl.

Pour the marinade over the shrimp in a glass bowl and let it marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. If you are going to use wooden skewers to grill them, soak the skewers at the same time in water. I use metal skewers - it’s just easier for me. I threaded 6 shrimp on a skewer.

When you’re readt to cook the shrimp, heat your grill up. I didn’t even have to oil my grill / the marinade had enough to keep it from sticking. Remember shrimp will cook really fast on a hot grill - just 2-3 minutes a side - so don’t close the lid and walk away for too long!

When the shrimp are blackened on one side, flip them over and cook the other side.

Take the skewers off the grill and let them cool down. To serve, slide the shrimp off the skewers (or not - you could leave them on for everyone to take one but it’ll be messier for the diners) and serve with the sides.

Wendy served this with jerk chicken, ribs, rice & beans and a great kale salad.

Red stripe anyone?