Honey-Harissa Grilled Shrimp with Herby Cucumber Salad
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Recipe Intro From lisathompson
This speedy supper packs a punch of flavor in just a short amount of time. Prepping your ingredients directly into bowls saves time and gets dinner on the table in under an hour. Shrimp are coated with honey before being quickly grilled or broiled, allowing the honey to caramelize and char slightly. Toss the grilled shrimp into a zesty marinade made with citrus juice and zest, fresh garlic, and a piquant harissa spice blend. This style of cooking seafood and marinating it afterwards in a vinegary sauce is common in many cuisines including Filipino, Portuguese, Puerto Rican, Spanish, and Jamaican and is referred to as escabeche or escovitch. Because the marinade never mingles with shrimp while they’re raw, we’re able to spoon the extra over fluffy rice or sop it up with warmed pita.
Shrimp are sold by different sizes delineated by numbers like 13/15, 16/20. This number corresponds to the amount of shrimp there are per pound, so if your shrimp are sold as 13/15, you will be getting approximately 13-15 shrimp per pound. The lower the number, the larger the shrimp will be. This recipe calls for extra large shrimp (13/15), but feel free to use a different size in order to buy the highest quality within your budget, just be sure to adjust the cooking time appropriately. Increase cooking time for larger shrimp, and decrease cooking time for smaller shrimp.
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For the Herby Cucumber Salad
ingredients
- 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 pound (about 8 small) Persian cucumbers, sliced on a bias
- 1/2 cup fresh herbs such as parsley, dill, cilantro, or mint, finely chopped
For the Harissa-Honey Shrimp
ingredients
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 large lemon, zested and juiced
- 1 large lime, zested and juiced
- 1 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon honey, divided
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons NY Shuk Fiery Harissa spice blend, plus more for serving
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 pound extra large shrimp (13/15), peeled and deveined, tails on
For Serving
ingredients
- Cooked white rice, (optional)
- Toasted pita bread, (optional)
Method
Step 1
Preheat a grill to medium-high heat according to manufacturer’s instructions. (This should take about 30 minutes if using charcoal.) Alternatively, you can use a broiler on high or a grill pan on the stove over medium-high heat.
For the Cucumber Salad
Step 1
Meanwhile, make the cucumber salad. Whisk olive oil, white wine vinegar, ½ teaspoon honey, and salt. Add cucumbers and chopped herbs and toss to coat in dressing. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve and up to 6 hours ahead.
For the Shrimp
Step 1
Make the marinade. Add garlic, citrus juice and zest, harissa spice blend, and olive oil to a medium bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside.
Step 2
Make the shrimp. Season shrimp with salt and pepper. Add remaining honey and toss to evenly coat shrimp. Once grill is preheated, place shrimp 1” apart and cover. Cook for about 5 minutes on the first side, then flip and continue cooking until shrimp are completely cooked through, about 1-2 minutes more. Remove shrimp from the grill and add immediately to marinade, tossing to coat.
Step 3
Alternatively, heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Lightly oil pan with nonstick cooking spray or 1 teaspoon neutral oil. Cool shrimp for about 5 minutes, then flip and continue cooking until shrimp are completely cooked through, about 2 minutes If using a broiler, preheat on the highest heat setting. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Broil shrimp for 4-5 minutes. Turn shrimp and continue cooking until completely cooked through, about 2-3 minutes.
Step 4
Serve shrimp with a side of herby cucumber salad and a side of rice or warmed pita, if desired and sprinkle with an extra pinch of harissa spice blend.