Shrimp on the Barbie

Congratulations to Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine Elizabeth Kate, nee  Middleton, Dutchess of Cambridge on the birth of their first child, a son!

Shrimp on the barbie is a phrase made famous by Paul Hogan (Crocodile Dundee, 1986) in a series of television advertisements by the Australian Tourism Commission that ran from 1984 through 1990.  That phrase has always stuck in my mind so I get a little chuckle every time we grill shrimp.  Shrimp is ever so easy to cook on the grill because it has it's own built in timer, changing from grey to pink orange-pink when cooked.

Shrimp is generally viewed as being expensive, and in many cases it is unless you live near a local source.  Here in our corner of beautiful Ontario, Canada I buy frozen raw shrimp mainly from Elite Gourmet Food Service but if I am out, I buy Zipperback Black Tiger Shrimp shrimp at No Frills in 454 g (1 lb) for $8.  This shrimp has a firm texture with mild flavour perfect for grilling.  It is deveined ready to thaw and cook.  Three bags of this shrimp will comfortably serve four adults.

Quite often shrimp are cooked on skewers on the grill but we like using a grilling basket instead.  The grilling basket takes a lot of the fuss out of grilling shrimp.  Pictured is the thawed jumbo Black Tiger Shrimp shortly after putting onto the grill in the grilling basket.  These were the 16/20 count shrimp, the perfect size for grilling.  I didn't use a marinade although one could be used with this method.  I lightly sprayed the grilling basket with cooking oil then placed the prepared shrimp in the basket.  As you can see the raw shrimp is grey in colour.  As it cooks, the shrimp changes colour and the flesh turns opaque.

Shrimp cooks rather fast on the grill.  It is important to not over cook the shrimp as this will cause the texture of the shrimp to become rubbery.  Using a grilling basket allows you to quickly turn the shrimp with a flipping motion.  The cooked shrimp turns a beautiful orange-pink with golden overtones.  This mouthwatering shrimp is delicious as is or served with home canned seafood cocktail sauce.

The shrimp was part of dinner celebrations for our youngest's birthday.  It was a milestone birthday, a reminder of time marching on!   We enjoyed the delicious meal on the deck, letting the cooler summer breeze brush our shoulders while enjoying simply being together.  It was a wonderful way to celebrate such a special day!