The intense dry heat of a grill is an excellent way to bring out the best in shrimp. The basics of grilled shrimp are simple enough for a novice to master, while providing a backdrop for the more seasoned chef to display her culinary vision. You can prepare a marinade in advance or throw together a quick sauce while the grill is heating. Either way, you've got the beginnings of a tasty shrimp dish.
The Grill
You can grill shrimp on a gas grill, charcoal grill or use a grill pan indoors. In a pinch, you can use your oven broiler for most grilled shrimp recipes. Use high heat to cook the shrimp quickly, and close the grill lid during cooking to help the hot air circulate and cook evenly. Cook the shrimp two to three minutes per side, turning only once. Most shrimp are gray and translucent before cooking, turning pink and opaque when done. To prevent the shrimp from sticking, use a marinade containing oil, or lightly oil the shrimp or surface of the grill or grill basket just before cooking. Once you have placed the shrimp on the grill, leave them undisturbed until it is time to turn them.
The Shrimp
Choose large, jumbo or colossal shrimp for grilling. Whether or not you remove the head, legs and shell before grilling is a matter of personal preference. Some chefs feel keeping the head, legs and shells on the shrimp during cooking improves flavor. Some chefs feel keeping the shells on also helps prevent overcooking and moisture loss. If you are using a marinade, however, you may wish to remove the shells so that the marinade has more direct contact with the meat of the shrimp. Whether or not you devein the shrimp before cooking is also a matter of personal preference, with most cooks preferring to remove visible veins.
Skewers and Grill Baskets
To keep shrimp from falling through the grill rack, use skewers or a grill basket. Skewers are usually made of metal or bamboo. Metal skewers become hot quickly, so handle them carefully to avoid injury. Soak bamboo skewers in water for 30 minutes before use to prevent burning and splintering. You can also use rosemary sprigs, with most of the leaves removed, or sugar cane to add flavor; pierce the shrimp first with a bamboo or metal skewer to make using the rosemary sprig or sugar cane easier. To keep shrimp from twisting on the skewer, pierce each piece of shrimp twice (once through the head and once through the tail), pierce the shrimp lengthwise from head to tail, or use two parallel skewers. When placing shrimp on a skewer, leave space between the shrimp for air to circulate. Try alternating shrimp with pieces of pineapple or mango; the intense heat of the grill will lightly caramelize and soften the fruit, bringing out its sweetness. You can also wrap shrimp with bacon before skewering and grilling to add a different flavor profile.
Brines, Marinades and Sauces
Brines, marinades and sauces are all different ways of imparting flavor to grilled shrimp. A brine is a salt water solution that improves the texture and flavor of shrimp without adding fat or calories. The most basic brine is equal amounts of kosher salt and sugar, dissolved in water; you can add herbs or spices to impart additional flavor to the shrimp. There are a variety of marinades you can use for grilled shrimp. A simple marinade of olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper is a good beginning marinade; because grilling cooks shrimp quickly, the garlic will not burn. Finish the grilled shrimp with a squeeze of lemon or lime. If you will be serving the grilled shrimp with vegetables or in a salad, consider using some of the salad dressing to marinate the shrimp before grilling. Barbecued shrimp are another grilled favorite. You can toss the shrimp in barbecue spices or a rub before cooking, marinate the shrimp in barbecue sauce, or toss the shrimp with barbecue sauce before grilling. Because of their relatively small size and tender flesh, most shrimp need to marinate only 30 minutes or so before cooking.
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