During the dog days of summer, my husband and I do most of our cooking outside on the grill. Sometimes we get stuck in a rut and grill the same things over and over again—steak, burgers, brats, salmon. Does this happen at your house?
If you are looking for a new recipe to grill, try my Honey-Sriracha® Glazed Shrimp. It is kid friendly. My 12-year-old grandson gave it an 11 on a scale of 1 to 10. That’s pretty impressive!
I like serving the shrimp over Bacon Succotash Rice. Last time I made it, we decided to add some of the honey-Sriracha® glaze to the rice, and this addition took this recipe to a whole new level. If you are not a Sriracha® lover, don’t add the glaze to the rice. I serve this dish with Ceasar salad and crusty bread.
Honey-Sriracha® Glazed Shrimp with Bacon Succotash Rice
Preheat the grill to high.
For the bacon succotash rice:
4 strips bacon 1 tablespoon reserved bacon drippings 1 cup basmati rice ½ cup red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and diced ½ cup green onions, white parts only 2 cups water ½ teaspoon salt ½ cup frozen lima beans, thawed ½ cup frozen corn kernels, thawed ½ cup heavy cream Salt to taste Large grind black pepper to taste In a large heavy skillet, place bacon over medium-high heat and cook until crisp. Transfer bacon to a paper-towel lined plate to drain. Reserve bacon drippings. When bacon is cooled, crumble.
In a large saucepan, place 1 tablespoon reserved bacon drippings. Add rice, bell pepper, and green onion whites and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add water and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook rice 20 minutes, or until tender. Remove from the heat.
Add lima beans, corn, and cream. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and let stand while you grill shrimp.
For the Honey-Sriracha® Glazed shrimp: ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons honey ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons Sriracha® 3 tablespoons reserved bacon drippings 1 pound large shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails on
In a large bowl, place honey, Sriracha®, and bacon drippings and whisk to blend. Reserve 3 tablespoons honey-Sriracha® glaze and set aside.
Place shrimp in the remaining glaze and toss to coat. Thread 5 shrimp onto each of 4 skewers. Place shrimp on a grill plate and grill until charred, about 2 minutes per side, brushing with the remaining honey-Sriracha® mixture. To serve:
Reserved honey-Sriracha® glaze Crumbled bacon ¼ cup green onions, green parts only
To the rice, add reserved honey-Sriracha® glaze to taste or serve without the glaze. Place rice in a bowl or on a plate. Top with shrimp and garnish with bacon and green onions (green parts only).
Tips on buying shrimp: Fresh versus Frozen. Fishermen put shrimp on ice as soon as they are caught. This preserves the shrimp, freezing them so they are just-caught fresh until they are thawed. The fresh shrimp you see on ice in the seafood counter at your supermarket were most likely once frozen and are thawing in the counter. The longer they are in the counter, the less fresh they will be. Unless you know that the fresh shrimp you are buying is fresh off the boat, frozen shrimp is a better choice.
Wild-Caught or Farm-Raised: Wild-caught shrimp have a sharper, more shrimpy taste; however, they are pricier and harder to find. Ninety percent of shrimp sold in the United States are imported from Southeast Asia, Ecuador, and India; and the majority of that is farm-raised. Your supermarket is required to divulge the country of origin and whether shrimp is wild or farmed. Check the label. If you have doubts, farm-raised shrimp cultivated under cleaner standards will bear a “Best Aquaculture Practices” label. The certification label to look for when buying wild shrimp is “Marine Stewardship Council Approved.”
The most common imported shrimp sold in the supermarket are white vannemei and tiger shrimp from Asia. The most common domestic varieties are white and pink shrimp from the Gulf of Mexico. If I have a choice, I prefer pink shrimp.
Do not purchase frozen shrimp that have dry spots on their shells. This is a sign of freezer burn. Except for the black tiger variety of shrimp, black spots on shells are an indication of spoilage. Signs of yellow or grit on the shells could mean the shrimp have been bleached to remove black spots. Avoid shrimp that smell like ammonia or feel soft or slimy.
Tips on de-veining shrimp: Unless you are cooking with very small shrimp, they must be de-veined. The intestinal tract on medium to large shrimp runs down their back and is quite unappetizing. To de-vein shrimp, hold them under a slow stream of cold water and run the tip of an ice pick or sharp knife down their back, scraping out the intestine, yet leaving the shrimp intact. Rinse gently to remove any black from the shrimp.
Tips on buying unsoaked shrimp: Shrimp are often soaked in a solution of water and tripolyphosphate. This does extend their shelf life but hurts their flavor. If available, buy the unsoaked or “dry” variety. They have a superior taste. Your supermarket is required by law to tell you whether fish has been soaked in this solution.
Carol Ann
Carol Ann Kates is the award-winning author of cookbook, Secret Recipes from the Corner Market and Insider Grocery Shopping Secrets. She’s an expert in how to shop, select, and store produce for maximizing home cooking outcomes and minimizing time and money spent. As a former supermarket and deli operator, Carol Ann shares grocery-insider wisdom—the same expertise you used to receive when patronizing a mom-and-pop establishment. Contact her at CarolAnn@CarolAnnKates.com and explore her website, www.CarolAnnKates.com.
Copyright 2021 All Rights Reserved Carol Ann Kates
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