Featured Recipe of the Week: Grilled & Stuffed Jumbo Shrimp

Featured Recipe of the Week: Grilled & Stuffed Jumbo Shrimp

I don’t know about you, but I love all of the barbecue basics. While all of the basics are pretty much an essential to any cookout, there’s so much more you can do with your grill! At your next cookout you could pretty much cook everything you needed on the grill, including some yummy appetizers. Before you treat your guests to their grilled meal, serve them these Jumbo Shrimp Stuffed with Cilantro and Chiles! This Food Network recipe is sure to impress your guests and the prep time is just 20 minutes.

Ingredients

• 8 jumbo shrimp, in the shell (about 1 1/4 pounds)
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves stripped
• Juice of 2 limes (about 1/4 cup)
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus additional for seasoning
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1/2 large jalapeno, with seeds
• 2 scallions (white and green parts)
• 1 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Directions

To prepare the shrimp slit about 3/4 of the way through the shrimp down the ridged back and remove the vein that runs down the center, without removing the shell. Then simply rinse and pat the shrimp dry. Create your marinade by whisking thyme leaves, lime juice, 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and black pepper, to taste, in a shallow nonreactive bowl or dish. Lay the shrimp cut side down in the mixture and refrigerate for 30 minutes. While the shrimp are in the fridge prepare an outdoor grill with a medium-high fire.

In a food processor, pulse the garlic, jalapeno, scallions, remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt to make a coarse paste. Add the cilantro and pulse just enough to incorporate into the mixture. Spoon the mixture into the opening in the shrimp and close the shrimp. Grill the shrimp shell side down (to keep filling from falling out) for 3 minutes. Turn to the other shell side, cover, and grill another 2 minutes or until the shrimp turn pink and are slightly firm to the touch. Sprinkle with salt and serve.

Food Network Cook’s Note: Shrimp cooked in the shells are more intensely flavorful. Leaving the shells on provides a buffer against overcooking, a misfortune many shrimp suffer. Shrimp, even these jumbos, continue to cook once removed from the grill. It’s always best to cook them just until opaque and let the delicate shellfish finish cooking off the heat.

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