Fish markets sell shrimp according to size: colossal, large, medium, etc., but a more accurate way to judge the size of shrimp is to buy them by counting them: colossal, less than 10 to the pound; jumbo, 11 to 15 to the pound; extra large, 16 to 20 to the pound; large, 21 to 30 to the pound; medium, 31 to 35 to the pound; small, 36 to 45 to the pound, and miniature, 60 to 100 to the pound.
Shrimp cooked in the shell has more flavor. If you can find shrimp in the market with the heads on go for it, they are fresh. And, for grilling best to use 21-30s or larger-- such as 16-20 to 11-15s. To make a real statement on the grill use U/15's Colossal, and U/10s Extra Colossal with the heads still on. BTW, U stands for under.
The nice part about today's post recipe is that just about any vegetable will go well with grilled shrimp, so use what you have on hand. Or, if you are heading to the market and you see good looking asparagus, that would be ideal at this time of the season to pair up with grilled shrimp.
Grilled Shrimp & Vegetable Salad
Makes four servings
chefgeorgehirsch.com | George Hirsch Lifestyle
20 large shrimp, peeled and deveined
Marinade for Shrimp:
2 Tablespoons Olive oil
Juice from one lemon
2 teaspoons lite-soy sauce
1 Tablespoon honey
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1 Tablespoon fresh mint, chopped
Mix all ingredients for shrimp marinade and pour over shrimp. Marinate 5 minutes.
For the vegetables:
2 green squash, split and grilled
2 large tomatoes, split and grilled
1 large sweet onion, cut into 4 pieces and grilled
4 Tablespoons olive oil
1 Tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
juice of one lemon
pinch sea salt
fresh ground black pepper
Mix lemon, oil, thyme, pepper and salt with vegetables.
Pre heat grill to a very high heat.
Grill vegetables on high heat until light brown and vegetables are tender.
Two minutes before vegetables are done place shrimp on grill.
Cook shrimp on hot grill and cook two minutes on each side, turning once. Baste the shrimp with any remaining marinade. Do not over cook. Pink means done. Remove shrimp from grill and serve with grilled vegetables.
