Mediterranean Grilled Shrimp Skewers

My husband I love to go onshore and grill our dinner. We think we have the best table with a view anywhere! And dogs are welcome! Look at this spot we had on Sucia Island in the San Juan Islands. We had a lovely beach dinner with a bottle of wine, Mediterranean Grilled Shrimp Skewers, arugula, beet, walnut and goat cheese salad and grilled garlic and fennel salt focaccia.

To make the focaccia, I pack a loaf of frozen Rhodes Bread Dough in a freezer zip lock bag and store it in the freezer. (I have also packed it in a cooler and planned on baking it the next day). The day you want to make the bread, remove it from the freezer, place it on a piece of foil, spread a little oil on the top, cover looseli with plastic wrap and allow 4 to 7 hours for the bread to rise. Actual time depends on temperature of your galley.

Next, stretch the dough into a large rectangular shape on a piece of heavy duty foil. The dough should be 1 inch thick.  Drizzle with olive oil on top of the dough and create indentations all over the top with your fingers. Give it a little sprinkle of fennel salt and garlic powder to the top. Place over a low heat spot on the grill for about 20 minutes or until bread is golden brown. You'll need to monitor it and move it around the heat. Careful not to overbake or burn!  

The Mediterranean marinade I use on this shrimp is becoming our favorite marinade. It can be made ahead at home to eliminate having to pack many ingredients for the boat trip. It is so full of flavor and what I make with it tastes like an expensive restaurant entree. 

In addition to tasting great, it is very versatile. I have used it to marinate fish, chicken breasts, pork tenderloin and cook over a grill in a foil packet. I have even used it to make Mediteranean Roasted Vegetables. 

If you want to make this recipe on the boat or at home and don't want to barbecue, it is also possible to saute the shrimp in a skillet with the marinade and serve over rice or pasta. In the picture below, I used the marinade and added Trader Joe's sundried tomatoes, marinated artichoke hearts and kalamata olives, sauteed the shrimp and served it tossed with Trader Joe's Papparadelle pasta. This pasta is just the right amount for two of us and cooks in only 6 to 7 minutes. The entire dinner took 10 minutes because at home, I made the marinade in a large jar, added the sundried tomatoes, artichokes and olives. Ready to toss with my shrimp on the boat! 

Making dinner on Sucia Island

Before our trip, I pre-made the marinade and stored it in a small jar and portioned out enough frozen shrimp for the two of us, put the shrimp in double resealable plastic bags and put in the cooler frozen. If you really want to get fancy use a FoodSaver Vacuum Sealer Machine. I have one and love it. 

Keep the shrimp frozen until you get it onboard. Store it in your cooler or refrigerator. On this trip, the shrimp slowly thawed and on day three of our trip it was easy to put together the skewers. I use bamboo skewers sometimes found here, but I have been experimenting with different types of skewers and these highly rated ones from Amazon feature a slider that pushes the food off the skewer. 

And, if you don't want to use skewers, just place the shrimp on a piece of heavy duty foil and put that directly on the grill. If I am cooking for more than 2 people I use wide heavy duty foil. And for cooking on a public camp grill with wide grill spaces, I use these great Foil Grill Pans with Holes. The food stays sanitary and it doesn't fall through the spaces on the grill. 

Recipe for Mediterranean Grilled Shrimp Skewers

Serves 4: about 9 shrimp a person

2 pounds shrimp (16-20), peeled and deveined, tail left on

Marinade:

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped Italian parsley (if you don't have this don't worry, it will still be good without)
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flake, or more for spicier

Mix together marinade ingredients in a large bowl.

Place shrimp in a resealable plastic bag and mix in about 2/3 of the marinade, reserving 1/3 for serving. Stir until shrimp are evenly coated with the sauce. Refrigerate 2 to 3 hours. Cover and refrigerate remaining sauce.

Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat and lightly oil the grate.

Thread shrimp onto skewers (pierce each twice, once through the thicker part of the shrimp, once through smaller part). Place skewers on hot grill. Cook on each side until shrimp are bright pink and opaque, 2 to 3 minutes per side.

Transfer skewers to serving platter. Top with the reserved marinade. 

Note: If you want to add a vegetable to your skewers, zucchini would be the best option since it cooks the fastest. Pineapple chunks or small cherry or grape tomatoes would be good too.

Boating, Sailing, RV Camping Notes:

To take camping or boating, make the marinade and put it in a glass jar.

Put frozen shrimp into a large resealable plastic bag and then another and put into the cooler frozen. The shrimp will slowly thaw and be ready to thread onto skewers.

Pack skewers, if using bamboo skewers, soak in water for an hour before threading shrimp on them.