Main dish • Savoury
Ruben’s Australian Shrimp on the Barbie
Technical Specialist
Chrismas in Australia, where I’m from, is usually celebrated with a backyard barbie. Whilst you’d never ever hear an Australian say “shrimp on the barbie” (we call them prawns), this is the popularized dish from a 1984 ad for Australia starring Paul Hogan.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds large shrimp
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
- 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro
- 1 tablespoon shallot, minced
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- ½ cup butter, melted
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- Salt to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Spinach leaves for garnish
- 1 lemon, sliced, for garnish
Instructions
Step 1
Peel and devein the shrimp, leaving the tails intact.
Step 2
Mince the fresh parsley, thyme, cilantro and shallots. Crush the garlic cloves.
Step 3
In a large bowl, combine the melted butter, olive oil, parsley, thyme, cilantro, lemon juice, cloves, shallots, salt and black pepper.
Step 4
Mix in the shrimp. Marinate at room temperature for 15 minutes or in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Discard the marinade after the 30 minutes, as it will not be safe to reuse due to contact with the raw shrimp.
Step 5
Prepare the barbecue with medium-hot coals.
Step 6
Thread the shrimp on narrow skewers. Grill until just opaque (or pink in color and firm to touch), about 2 minutes per side.
Step 7
Line a platter with fresh spinach leaves. Arrange the skewers on the platter. Garnish with lemon.
