It is not secret to anyone that knows me that I don't eat any kind of fish or seafood. Often times when people find out for whatever reason, usually while eating out, someone says, "Well, what about crab? You have to like crab?" No, I don't. Then they usually go through a couple more rounds of that with different kinds of fish or seafood that they just can not believe I don't like. "Well, what about shrimp/salmon/lobster? You have to like shrimp/salmon/lobster?" No, I really don't. Finally I just started saying, "I don't like anything from the water." And then when they ask another version of their same question I just repeat, "Nothing from the water."
The problem for Joe is that he really likes things from the water. He will often order seafood or fish when we are out but I started to feel bad about never cooking it for him. I have been feeling bad about it for awhile but the other day I was having a conversation with a friend that tipped the scales in Joe's favor. I was chatting with a friend about her disdain for touching any kind of raw meat and thought to myself, "Well, you just need to kind of suck it up because your kids want to eat!" And then I thought, "Ha! Suck it up and cook some seafood for Joe already." So I did.
On my grocery trip, I stopped at the meat counter and asked for some shrimp. She asked me how much I wanted and I froze. Um..."7?" She quickly realized I had really no idea what I wanted and asked me some questions about how many were going to be eating and what else I was making with it. Turns out she decided I needed 1/2 pound, so I ended up with 13 raw but deveined ('cause that's NOT happening) shrimp.
I got home and started to look up recipes for grilling shrimp because while I am willing to cook it, I am not willing to cook it in the house. Way too stinky.
Anyway, I found a recipe for a marinade and mixed it up. Then I set out to peel the 13 shrimp. I made it through without any snide comments but I can only imagine my face because Joe had a pretty good laugh. I will say it wasn't bad except for the horrible ripping noise it made when I got to the little feet or whatever they are technically called. (I think I might be make the same face now even thinking about it.) But I peeled them all and let them sit in the marinade for a little bit and then I touch them all again to put them on skewers. I threw them on the grill and had to have Joe check them for doneness, because I had no idea.
I grilled a chicken sausage for myself and since I had kabobs for Joe, I made some veggie kabobs too.
And the verdict...Joe said that is was the best grilled shrimp he had ever had. He is pretty honest when I am cooking new things so I know he was telling the truth. He also knows that if he says he likes it that means I will make it again, so it doesn't really do him any good to say he likes something when he doesn't.
So, there you go. I have officially cooked shrimp and will do it again. Go me!
Oh...and here is the recipe!
Ingredients
1 teaspoon of minced garlic
1 teaspoon of salt
1/8 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon of paprika
1 teaspoon of olive oil
1/2 teaspoon of lemon juice
1/2 pound of shrimp, deveined and peeled
Directions
1. In a bowl, crush together the garlic and salt.
2. Add the cayenne pepper, paprika, olive oil and lemon juice and mix well.
3. Add the shrimp and toss until they are all coated.
4. Cook shrimp on grill for 2-3 minutes on each side (or until Joe says they are done)
The originally recipe which calls for 2 lbs of shrimp can be found here. But if there is ever an occasion where 2 lbs of shrimp needs to be grilled in this house, that means there will be more people here and someone else is peeling all of those shrimp. I have limits.
Enjoy! (If you like things from the water.)
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