Grilled Shrimp and the Next Six Months of my Life

Hi! I've been seriously slacking on this blog. I just haven't been posting nearly as often as I'd like to and well, that just happens sometimes. I can't say it's ideal but it happens and that's just the way it is, I get caught up in the little tasks and excitement of life and somehow forget to photograph tasty recipes for y'all. Hey! I'm an imperfect human being and I never claimed to be anything else.

All the little stuff has included a short stint working pastry at this restaurant, interviewing for jobs (can we talk about how hard it is to convey a personality on a phone interview?), and the most exciting bit of all...getting a job with these amazing folks for the summer! I'm thrilled to announce I'll be spending the next six months on the road with Outstanding in the Field.  I intend to continue blogging here, though it's clearly going to be a bit different as I won't so much have access to a kitchen and will mostly be living out of a suitcase for the next half of a year. That being said, my handy camera will be by my side for the whole journey and I'm looking forward to sharing photos, information, and stories up here.

If you are going to be attending one of the dinners (here is the schedule) please say hi, I'd love to chat!

I leave in two weeks and I'm having trouble accurately documenting how damn pleased I am to be working for this company. Perhaps if you check out some past pictures of their events you'll understand how thrilled I am. Yes, there will be a lot of hard work, but nothing incredible was ever without that. 

Enough about me, let's talk shrimp. Let's talk grilling. Let's talk about how this post is actually all about this recipe and only slightly about my life. Let's talk about how Seattle has been so marvelously sunny lately that all I want to eat is grilled anything and fresh fruit. This recipe nails both of those cravings on the head.  Even if it's rainy and overcast where you are (as it will be here soon enough) this simple recipe will at least taste a bit like summer and sunshine and you know, sometimes that's just the best we can do.

Ingredients

1 pound Medium Sized Prawns

2 Small Lemons

Olive Oil

Kosher Salt

2 Avocados

2 Mangos (I prefer the smaller variety)

Fresh Ground Black Pepper

Flaked Salt (Like Maldon)

Method

1. Preheat grill or grill pan to medium high.

2. Clean prawns by removing the shell (I like to leave the tail on to keep the ends from getting rubbery) and cutting a shallow slit down the curved side to devein them, this shows the process).

3. Place the prawns in a large bowl and add the juice of the lemons, and a good deal of olive oil. I just drizzle it in until they are coated but not swimming in oil. Sprinkle with kosher salt (don't be shy, salt makes it flavorful!) and toss them gently.

4. Place the prawns on the grill and flip them after a minute or two. They should have nice grilled marks and become pink/opaque. Grill on the other side for another minute or so but not much more, until they are opaque throughout. Be careful, shrimp get rubbery and overcooked quickly.

5. Remove the shrimp to a plate and let rest.

6. Meanwhile, peel the mangos and cut the side off from the pit and any remaining bits of fruit. Cut the mango into small chunks.

7. Cut the avocados in half and separate. Then, cut them in quarters along the skin side and separate the pieces.  The pit should be easy to remove from one of the slices. Then peel the quarters and cut the avocado in half or into thirds to form long, thick slices as shown above.(Check this out if you're more of a visual learner.)

8. Remove the tails from the prawns, and cut in half down the length of the prawn. This is easier to do if it lays flat on its side.

9. Plate the dish by scattering the mango pieces, topped by the shrimp, and finished with the avocado slices. I did this by randomly laying the ingredients out on a large dish but you could really do this any which way (keep them in separate rows, or tossed together).

10. Finish it off with a small drizzle of olive oil, a grind of fresh black pepper, and a sprinkle of flaked salt.

Note: This would also be GREAT served over mixed greens with a lemony vinaigrette. Just a thought. 

EAT UP!