David Rubel's

What's For Dinner?

8/03/05

Grilled Tequila Shrimp

(serves two parents and two children)

This recipe comes from my friend and dentist. Joe Pilatich of Catskill, and his wife, Anna. The shrimp are a great appetizer and can also be used as the basis for a nice, light, room-temperature pasta meal. Just moisten the pasta with some good olive oil and add a few fresh blanched or sauteed vegetables

The Shrimp

1 lb large or extra-large shrimp

1/4 c tequila

1/4 c margarita mix (or lime juice)

1/4 c canola oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tbs red pepper flakes

The Dipping Sauce

1/2 c mayonnaise

1/4 c prepared horseradish

2 Tbs hot sauce

juice of half a lime (about 1 Tbs)

1. Peel and devein the shrimp.

2. Combine the tequila, margarita mix, canola oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes in a bowl. Add the shrimp and marinate for two to six hours.

3. Combine the dipping sauce ingredients and refrigerate for at least one hour before serving.

4. Grill the shrimp until done to your taste. (Joe and Anna prefer them slightly charred.)

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Tips

* If you don’t have access to a grill, these shrimp can also be broiled in an oven.

* With the rarest of exceptions, all shrimp is flash-frozen at sea immediately upon being caught. Therefore, when you buy unfrozen shrimp at a market, it is almost always frozen shrimp that has been defrosted. A better idea is to buy still-frozen shrimp and defrost it yourself just before you use it. (Shrimp is one of those foods that defrost in minutes when placed in a cold-water bath.)

* Make sure that the horseradish you use for the sauce is both fresh and sharp. The most common brand, Gold’s, is too bland in my opinion; I use Farmers Horseradish, which is also available in many supermarkets.

Listener Feedback

Kathy and Scott Miller recommend an alternative dipping sauce that they often use with grilled salmon. It consists of 2 Tbs mayonnaise, 2 Tbs Dannon Light tangerine chiffon yogurt, 1 Tbs relish, 1 tsp lemon juice, 1/4 tsp onion powder, and 1/2 tsp chopped fresh dill. Mix the ingredients together and let the sauce sit for an hour before using.

If you have tried one of these recipes and have an improvement or tip or variation to suggest, please e-mail David at dinner@wamc.org. Also feel free to send along your own family cuisine recipes. You can even request dishes that you'd like David to present in the future.

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David Rubel is president of Agincourt Press, a book production company in Chatham, New York. He spends his days writing American history, then heads home after work to cook for his wife and two young children. His most recent book is The Story of America (DK, 2002).