Wayne's Weekend: Grilled Shrimp And Pineapple

Seafood grilling spices kick up the flavor of skewered shrimp.

I’ve created four different grilling spices for beef, chicken, pork and seafood that I’ve shared online.  Today, I’m using the seafood spice mix to flavor skewered shrimp, which will share the grill with fresh pineapple slices.  The caramelized sweetness of the pineapple perfectly compliments the spiciness of the shellfish.  And, for a little texture, I’ve topped pineapple steamed rice with toasted coconut to compleete the meal.  I hope you enjoy it.

Grilled Shrimp with Pineapple and Coconut Rice
makes 4 generous servings

Ingredients

1 Fresh Pineapple
1 cu Uncooked White Rice
2 cu Water
1/2 tbl Butter, for rice preparation
1/2 cu Shredded Coconut
1 lb Shrimp, peeled and deveined with tails on
2 tsp Wayne’s Seafood Grilling Spice Mix, recipe below
1 bunch Scallions (green onions)
1 tbl Fresh Basil, finely minced
1/4 cu Butter, for basting
8 thin Wooden Skewers, 12" long
Lemon Wedges, for garnish

Method

Rinse the shrimp in cold water and then pat dry on paper towels.  Transfer to a large bowl and season shrimp with grilling spice mix.  Toss to coat and set aside in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

Cut the top and bottom off of a pineapple and stand upright.  Using a sharp knife, peel the pineapple by cutting vertical strips down the side just under the skin.  Then, cut out the remaining “eyes” from the pineapple.  Turn the pineapple on its side and cut 1/2” thick slices.  Using a sharp knife or a small circular biscuit or cookie cutter, cut out the center core from each slice.  Finely chop two of the slices to use with the rice.  Place the remaining slices in a bowl and set aside for grilling.

To prepare the rice, pour water, 1 tablespoon of butter, the two chopped pineapple slices and rice in a medium sized pot.  Bring mixture to a boil and then reduce to a simmer.  Cover and cook for 20 minutes.  Place coconut in a separate dry saucepan over medium high heat.  Stir constantly until coconut becomes toasty brown, being careful not to burn it.  Remove from heat and set aside.

Trim the root ends from the scallions and slice the remaining stalks into 2 1/2” long strips using all of the white and the lightly colored green sections. 

Divide the shrimp into four equal portions.  Using two wooden skewers for each serving, thread a shrimp onto the skewers with the skewers about 2” apart.  Add a portion of green onion followed by an additional shrimp.  Continue this process until all the shrimp has been threaded onto the skewer.  Repeat with remain shrimp, scallions and skewers.

Separately, melt 1/4 cup of butter in a small saucepan over very low heat.  Once melted, add basil and stir to combing.  Remove from heat and let it rest at room temperature.

Prepare your grill.  Place pineapple slices on grill.  Cook each side until it caramelizes and nice grill marks form, about 2-3 minutes per side.  Remove from grill and set aside.  (Special note: taste the pineapple after initially slicing it.  If it’s isn’t overly sweet, then try basting the slices with melted butter and sprinkling granulated sugar over them before grilling).

Place shrimp skewers on the grill.  Cook, turning once, until shrimp is opaque and firm to the touch, about 2 minutes per side.  Brush both sides with the basil butter while grilling.  Remove once fully cooked and set aside.

To serve, mound cooked rice on one side of a platter and top with toasted coconut.  Place pineapple slices on the other side and then top everything with the skewers.  Serve with lemon wedges.

Surf's Up
Seafood Grilling Spice Mix

Ingredients

2 tsp Black Pepper

1 1/2 tsp Salt

2 1/2  tsp Onion Powder

1 1/2 tsp Tumeric

2 1/2 tsp Lemon Pepper

1/2 tsp Anise

2 1/2 tsp Celery Seed

2 tsp Chili Powder

1 1/2 tsp Fennel

1/2 tsp Ground Cloves

1 tsp Dill

2 tsp Parsley

Mix ingredients together and either grind in spice grinder or in a mortar and pestle.  Store in an airtight container.

If you have any comments or questions, please send me an email at wayne@waynesweekend.com or follow me on Facebook or Twitter.

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