“I’ll remember feeding him the spicy flavored shrimp – his tongue trailing my saucy fingers so slowly that I’m positive time stopped. I’ll remember him rubbing the spices along my mouth, only to lick them off seconds later. I’ll remember lips on fingers, tongues on mouths, heat and honey. And I will never think of grilled shrimp the same way again.”
Anne and Eric, Jacksonville, Fla.
- Juice and zest of 2 limes, plus lime wedges for garnish
- 3 hot chile peppers, seeded and sliced
- 1 stalk lemongrass, outer leaves discarded and interior stalk thinly sliced
- 1 two-inch piece ginger (about 2 T.)
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2 T. honey
- 1/3 c. olive oil
- 1 T. chopped cilantro, plus more for garnish
- 1 lb. jumbo shrimp (16-20 count) deveined and shelled if desired
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
If using wooden skewers, soak in water for 30 minutes to prevent them from catching fire while grilling. Combine the first 8 ingredients in a casserole dish large enough to accommodate the skewers; mix well.
Thread 4 shrimp on 2 parallel skewers to keep them from spinning. Repeat with the remaining shrimp. Add to the marinade, turning several times to coat well. (Alternatively, marinate the loose shrimp in a large resealable plastic bag. Grill in a grill pan.)
Refrigerate 30 minutes to 1 hour at the most, turning once or twice while marinating.
Prepare a grill with a medium hot fire or preheat the broiler. Remove the shrimp from the marinade. Season with salt and pepper. Grill or broil for 2-3 minutes per side, or until just cooked through. Garnish with additional cilantro and lime wedges.
