Do you say shrimp or shrimps?
Madame Editor says it’s shrimp. But I like shrimps. Even my husband says shrimps (he has an accent, so he can get away with it). After a heated debate via text message, which involved an alarming number of shrimp emoji’s and red angry faces, I waved my white flag to the Editor. Shrimp singular it is.
Earlier this week, I whined about my busted fridge and if you’re just joining us, I have made it my personal mission to let nothing go to waste. Amidst all of the chaos, two impromptu recipes were born out of my unfortunate kitchen malfunction. My summer crunch salad came first, and now this festive ensemble of garlicky grilled shrimp.
You get a free salad with that: whole wheat couscous, sweet corn, cucumbers, and lots of fresh lemon and olive oil.
These jumbo shrimp (ah, shrimpsss!) were buried in my freezer and somehow survived the epic meltdown. Shrimp scampi was about to happen. However, the roof guy was coming over to give us a quote (yes, my life is falling apart) and I wasn’t in the mood for a seafood scented kitchen. I relocated this project to my outdoor grill. A quick marinade of garlic and white wine was made for the shrimp to soak, while I prepared the beginnings of a couscous salad.
I came up with a neat little trick for that too- I boil a big pot of water for my corn, and instead of discarding the water, I use it to flavor my couscous. Just mix the two together and let it sit. In about 5 minutes, you will have gorgeous fluffy couscous. Flavorful and functional.
We waste no time over here.
To serve, I made a mad dash for the prettiest plates that I could find before my feline friends attacked my lunch. Pink and red flowers make everything better, don’t you think? The flavors of charred shrimp, buttery garlic, and sweet corn was an unexpected treat. That roof guy definitely missed out.
PS- Eva, if you are reading this, the day you stop sending me product samples I will die. Enjoy friends!
Tips:
- To save on time, you can purchase shrimp already cleaned and deveined.
- Because the couscous salad needs time to chill, make sure to start that first before you grill the shrimp.
- If you’re curious about what kind of white wine to you will need, use what’s good enough to drink! I like a dry sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio.
garlicky grilled shrimp
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Total Time: 50 mins
- Yield: 4
Ingredients
Marinade
- 1 1/2 lbs. jumbo shrimp, cleaned + deveined, shells removed
- 1 garlic clove, grated
- 1 tbsp. white wine
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
Garlic butter sauce
- 2 tbsp. butter
- 1 garlic clove, grated
- 1/4 c. white wine
Couscous salad
- 1 c. dry whole wheat couscous
- 2 ears of corn, cleaned
- 1/2 English cucumber, thinly sliced
Lemon vinaigrette
- juice of 1 lemon
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 1/3 c. roughly chopped parsley
- salt + pepper to taste
*Because the couscous salad needs a little time to chill, make sure to start that first before you grill the shrimp.
Instructions
- For the couscous salad, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the corn and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Using tongs, remove the corn and place onto a cutting board; do not discard the water. When cool enough to handle, shave the kernels off the cob.
- In a large bowl, add the dry couscous. Cover with 1 cup of the reserved hot cooking water. Cover with plastic wrap and let it sit for about 5 minutes. When ready, drizzle with olive oil and fluff with a fork to prevent sticking. Spread out onto a rimmed baking sheet to cool.
- For the vinaigrette, add the lemon juice to a small bowl and slowly whisk in the olive oil to emulsify. Add the parsley, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
- To finish the salad, add the cooled couscous, corn, and cucumbers to a bowl. Pour over the vinaigrette. Mix well to combine and chill before serving.
- For the marinade, place the shrimp, garlic, white wine and olive in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Marinate for up to 15 minutes (any longer and the shrimp will get rubbery).
- Preheat the grill to medium heat. Grill the shrimp for about 3-4 minutes on each size. Grill time will vary depending on the size of your shrimp. Transfer to a platter.
- To make the sauce, add the butter, white wine, and garlic to a small pan over low heat. When the butter is melted, and the garlic is fragrant remove from the heat.
- To serve, pour the garlic butter sauce over the grilled shrimp. Arrange the couscous salad on the side with extra lemon and olive oil, if desired.
Comments
allison says
I made this and it was DELISH! Do you think this could be made with salmon?
Emilie says
Hello Allison! That’s wonderful! So glad you like it! I think it would be lovely with salmon :)
Jessika says
Could you do a salad like this with quinoa instead of couscous?
Emilie says
Hi Jessika,
Of course! That would be a perfect swap. Enjoy :)
Mrs Mulberry says
Beautiful recipe Emilie, but of course in Australia we call them prawns!! Xx
Emilie says
Thank you E! I like saying prawns too…and aubergine…and courgette. So much prettier ;)
cynthia says
These look SO so good! Especially with that couscous — it reminds me of a fresher, livelier shrimp and grits! (Also, I’m totally down with “shrimps.” In fact I’d also be down with “skrimps,” too.)
Emilie says
Yes- you’re right! Shrimp & grits! Isn’t saying ‘shrimps’ more fun? But I think ‘skrimps’ takes the cake for sure! Made me laugh… Thank you for stopping by Cynthia :)
Liz says
Another nice recipe. Thanks so much.
Emilie says
You are quite welcome Liz! I hope you enjoy :)
Jocelyn (Grandbaby Cakes) says
OMG this shrimp is seriously perfection!
Emilie says
OMG THANK YOU sweet Jocelyn! This dish with your peach pie for dessert would’ve been lovely. That’s next on my list! Hope you are enjoying your summer :) xx
Silvia says
What a feast for the eyes!
Emilie says
Thank you Silvia! We certainly enjoyed this one. I ended up mixing everything together and eating it cold for lunch the next day. It makes a great packed lunch! xx
Laney (Ortensia Blu) says
You’re such a multi-tasker Emilie! I love everything about this recipe…everything!
Emilie says
I think I’m just crazy Laney…lol. Thank you so much! Come over for dinner :)
Laura (Tutti Dolci) says
Grilled shrimp are my absolute favorite, these look fab!
Emilie says
Thank you Laura! It’s a fun twist on traditional scampi- easy too :)
Kelly @ Inspired Edibles says
Oh Goodness, it’s only a little past 7 am here on the west coast but I want shrimp for breakfast!!! Your photos are absolutely gorgeous and I think I recognize those glasses (aren’t they the best?) ;-).
Emilie says
Thank you sweet Kelly. I think I could eat shrimp for breakfast too, perhaps a Mexican-style brekkie burrito? Maybe I need to fly to the West Coast for some authentic fare ;) And yes! These glasses are the best. Just the right size too…
Pam Green says
Even that salad looks delicious and tempting!
★★★★★
Emilie says
Hi Pam! Salad with stuff in it- just like your potato salad with greens ;)
Lisa@Lisa's Dinnertime Dish says
This shrimp sounds so good! I love garlic anything and grilled shrimp tastes so good! Pinning and Stumbling!
Emilie says
Hi Lisa! I love shrimp anything too- this dish comes together so quickly, I think you will like it for an easy, weeknight meal! It was a hit with the kids as well. And thank you for Pinning & Stumbling!!! xx