Faith Middleton's Food Schmooze: Royal Red Shrimp

GRILLED SHRIMP

WITH AVOCADO SALSA

1 pound (size 21-25) raw shrimp

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 teaspoon curry powder

1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon lemon juice

6- to 8-inch thin wooden skewers

SALSA:

1 ear fresh corn

2 avocados, ripe but still firm

1 cup cherry tomatoes

1/2 of a onion, sliced for the grill 

Juice of half a lemon

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Peel and devein shrimp. Combine olive oil, curry powder, paprika, salt and lemon juice in a medium mixing bowl. Add the shrimp and toss to coat shrimp with the marinade. Set aside for 10 minutes.

Cover a cutting board with plastic wrap. Line up 6 shrimp, the ends of the shrimp pointing downward and each shrimp tucked into the curve of the one above it. Hold down the shrimp with your hand, and gently thread one skewer verticially through the shrimp, about halfway between the edge and center of the shrimp.  Repeat on the other side.

Heat the grill to high. Remove husk and silk from corn. Cut avocados in half, remove pit but do not peel. Put onion, cut side down, on a cutting board. Insert three sets of skewers in half-inch intervals in onion. Slice onion in between the skewers. You’ll have three thick slices of onion, held together by the skewers, ready for the grill.

Put corn, avocados, tomatoes and onion on the hot grill. Grill vegetables until charred, turning as necessary, about 3 minutes.

Put shrimp on grill and grill 1 to 2 minutes on each side, until pink.

Remove vegetables and shrimp from the grill. Remove skewers from onion, and chop onion coarsely. Slice corn kernels from cob.  With a paring knife, cut avocado horizontally and vertically, just to the skin, and scoop out chunks. Cut tomatoes in half. Combine vegetables, lemon juice, cilantro and salt in a mixing bowl.

To serve, either plate individually – a scoop of salsa and a rack of shrimp per person – or heap the salsa in the center of a large serving platter and arrange the skewered shrimp around the salsa. Serves 4.

(From Chris Prosperi)