1st Cook in a year or more

Theophan

I've had some things going on that have prevented me from using my Eggs for a while, but recently that has changed, and I've gotten the Eggs cleaned out and ready for use again, and this evening I cooked some "Spicy Asian Shrimp" (the recipe's on this forum, somewhere, I'm sure), very simple, a mostly Sriracha marinade, and my wife and I, and a grandson who unexpectedly but very welcome, joined us, loved it.





I'd be interested in comments/suggestions from others who grill shrimp:  This recipe, and many others I've seen, wanted them grilled at 350 or so, but when I've done it that way, they were good, but there was little or no char or sense of being grilled, so I grilled these at 500-600 and liked them a lot better.  (Grid at factory height, sitting on the fire ring.)

How do you all grill shrimp?

Thanks!

Theo

nolaegghead

Congrats on getting back up in the saddle Theo!

Grilled shrimp - get as large a shrimp you can, leave the shell on if possible, towel off as much marinade as you can, you want them relatively dry, and cook hot as hell so you get some grilling on the outside but don't overcook. 

Shrimp cook so fast, you can shine a flashlight on one and it'll cook in seconds.

SGH

The shrimp look mighty fine to me. I grill shrimp pretty regular myself. As of late, I have been using my mini instead of my large. It may all be in my head but I seem to get a better "char" without overlooking when I use the mini. Again, yours look fantastic.  

Theophan

@nolaegghead, I've never tried grilling shrimp in the shell, have only had them that way steamed with Old Bay, Southern style.  Somehow I would have thought that the shell would be the most "grilled" part of the shrimp, and then you'd peel it off and throw it away, leaving the inside which was "protected" from the grilled flavor by the shell.  You've done it, and I haven't, so I'm not arguing, but asking: what's the advantage of leaving the shells on in grilling?  And your point about wiping them dry makes sense.  I deliberately left on whatever marinade that stuck to them, figuring it'd give them more flavor, but I hadn't thought about how that would inhibit the char.  Maybe I'll try that next time.

@SGH, I don't have a mini, but I'm sure the shrimp are very much closer to the coals, which I could imagine makes a difference.  I was so excited about finally grilling again that I LOVED the shrimp, but in thinking about it afterward, I think I probably did overcook them a little.  The dome was around 600 before I opened it up and put the skewers on, and I think only rose to the 400s during the cook, but I'm sure it's the direct heat that was the main thing I wanted anyway.

I didn't use any wood chips.  Anybody use alder, or anything else?

Thanks!

Theo

nolaegghead

Theo, keeping the shell on is kind of a regional thing for me.  The shell is like a little semi-permeable foil wrap that helps keep moisture and flavor in.  You get some char flavor through the shell and many people eat the legs off the shell (me included) - they're like crispy shrimp bacon. 

I'm just saying try it, it's another way to prepare them.  And the presentation is phenomenal in the shell.  You can settle on a way you prefer them, main trick to shrimp is to not overcook.  When the inside is just turning opaque, they're done. 

johnkitchens

Welcome back to the forum and to egging. I am sure you are happy to be back grilling. 

Your shrimp look great. You know your grandson will stop by around dinner time a lot more now don't you! 

THEBuckeye

Like riding a bike! 

Ozzie_Isaac

@nolaeggheadEat the legs off shrimp?  Thats crazy talk.

theyolksonyou

@nolaegghead @Ozzie_Isaac shrimp legs?  Never thought to try that. Guess now I have to. Mmmmm shrimp bacon. 

nolaegghead

Hell yeah I do.  And when bbq or fried, sometimes I eat the tail.

Theophan

Holy Moly -- eating the legs off the shell???    Not sure I'm going to try that.  Maybe...  If I ever get back to New Orleans, I'll probably try sucking out the stuff from the heads of their crawdads, though I can't say that sounds very good, either.

Thanks for the info!

And yes, I think my grandson (one of them) may have just learned a handy new trick stopping by around supper time...  

SGH

Ozzie_Isaac said:

@nolaeggheadEat the legs off shrimp?  Thats crazy talk.

Actually brother Nola is telling you the truth. Let me explain. 4 days before a full moon up to 4 days after, shrimp moult (shed and regrow their shells) just like crabs. If shrimp are caught during this phase, they are soft shell shrimp akin to a soft shell crab. Because the shell is so thin and papery, it's almost impossible to remove before or after cooking. The shells on a soft shell shrimp is no different from shells on a soft shell crab. Not only are they edible, they are delicious. This time, brother Nola speaks the truth. 

buzd504

Ozzie_Isaac said:

@nolaeggheadEat the legs off shrimp?  Thats crazy talk.

Occasionally, the legs are fried up and served on their own.  They're called shrimp spiders.  They're delicious.