Weekend Cooking... Grilled Shrimp with Spicy Lemon Garlic Sauce

I love shrimp.
I like them steamed in some Old Bay, I like them fried, I like them in a Creole sauce. I like them 'nekked', just boiled and served with more cocktail sauce with extra horseradish.
But it is summer and we are trying to take the heat outside, so how about the grill?
But there are a few issues with shrimp on the barbie. Shrimp cook very quickly, so how do we get a little charcoal taste on the little sucker in that brief time with overcooking them? Well, my friends at America's Test Kitchen, Cooks Illustrated, have a few ideas that this recipe includes, a recipe that I have been making for years.

First, you put the shrimp on skewers and push them closely together. That lets you leave them on the girl for a little longer without overcooking them. You also rub them with a little oil and put a tiny sprinkle of sugar on one side to promote some caramelization..which add a nice taste. Do not worry, you will not taste the sugar at all, it is such a tiny bit.
And then, finally, you take them off the grill when they are barely cooked and finish them in the garlic, butter, lemon sauce, leaving them moist and tasty.

Charcoal Grilled Shrimp

1 1/2 pounds of extra large shrimp, peeled and   deveined

1/4 tsp. sugar

salt and pepper
1 tsp. oil

1 recipe Spicy Lemon-Garlic Sauce

Three 14 inch metal skewers

Pat shrimp dry with paper towels. Thread shrimp onto skewers, alternating direction of heads and tails so that they are closely pushed together. Brush each side with oil and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle one side of the shrimp with sugar.

Light large charcoal chimney with about 6 qts. of charcoal and allow to burn until fully ignited and covered with a thin layer of ash. Empty into grill, placing all the coals on one side and leaving the other side empty. Place the disposable pan with the sauce over the hot side and cook as directed, then move to cooler side.

Place skewers with shrimp on hot side, sugared side down, and be sure the shrimp are closely pushed together. Cook for 4-5 minutes and then flip, cooking other side 1-2 minutes.

Using an oven mitt, pick up each skewer and using tongs, slide the shrimp off the skewer and into the pan containing the sauce. Toss and cook until fully cooked, about 30 seconds.

Remove from grill, add parsley,toss and serve.

Spicy Lemon-Garlic Sauce

(enough for 1 ½ lbs. shrimp)

4 Tbs. unsalted butter

4 Tbs. juice from two lemons

1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes.

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1/8 tsp. salt

disposable aluminum pan

1/3 cup chopped parsley

Put butter, juice, red pepper and garlic in the pan and place on the hot side of the grill, cooking until butter is melted and bubbly. Move to cooler side. When shrimp are grilled, place in the hot sauce and continue to cook for about 30 seconds. Remove the pan from grill, add parsley, toss, remove from sauce and serve.

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This is my contribution this to this week's Weekend Cooking.
"Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, fabulous quotations, photographs. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend."
Be sure to check out the other entries this week. As always, hosted by Beth Fish Reads.

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