Shrimp on The Barbie

(barbie, not Barbie)

Shrimp cooked over a little plastic doll on fire is terrible.

Shrimp cooked in a metal container full of charcoal is awesome and is so amazingly easy to make that I’m sorry that waited years to try it.

It tastes better than most restaurants. And you can have as many shrimp as you want, not just what shows up when the waiter brings your plate. 😎

Ingredients:
1.5 Lb Raw, shell-on, 21-25 Shrimp. “21-25” refers to the size of the shrimp, not the type. It means that there are “between 21 and 25 shrimp in a pound.”
Buy raw, shell-on shrimp and peel them yourself. They taste much better.
2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Tsp Old Bay Seasoning (optional)

Shopping Tip #1:
Unless you can see shrimp boats from your bedroom window, buy the shrimp individually quick-frozen. Any non-frozen shrimp you see in the store are just frozen shrimp that the store thawed.

Since “spoilage clock” start ticking as soon as they get much above 0°F, always buy Individually Quick Frozen shrimp that are still frozen.

Never buy pre-cooked shrimp, since you’re going to cook it. Twice-cooked shrimp are terrible.

Shopping Tip #2:
If the bag says “Individually Quick Frozen” but the shrimp are stuck together in a clump, don’t buy it! This means that the bag has been left sitting out somewhere (maybe the Laundry Detergent aisle), then tossed back in the freezer.

The night before, if frozen:

  • Snip the corner off the bag and place the bag in a bowl, cut corner facing down to allow draining. Place in the refrigerator.

Cooking:

  • Clean grill and set on high. Close lid.
  • If not pre-cleaned and peeled, clean the shrimp! Remove the legs and all of the shell except for the tail and. If the seafood processor hasn’t done this for you, remove the “vein.” (actually the digestive tract) You want to eat the shrimp, not what it ate.
  • Add a couple of tablespoons of Olive Oil in a bowl and add the Old Bay if you want. Mix well. Add the shrimp and toss to coat.
  • Quickly place all the shrimp on the grill and wait until the bottom turns orange with some nice seared places where it contacted the grill (about two minutes). Turn over and cook another minute or until evenly done on both sides.

Enjoy!

It doesn’t get much easier than this!

Serves 3, or two really hungry people with a few left-over.