hot fun in the summertime! spicy grilled gulf shrimp

one of the joys of summer for me is to walk out my back door, snip a few fresh herbs out of the garden and like magic the aromatic, healthful freshness brings my kitchen to life! fresh herbs with fresh fish or shellfish are a marriage made in heaven; simple preparations that let the fresh flavors speak for themselves. whether baking a fillet of cod en papillote (simply steamed in parchment paper with lemon and thyme), roasting whole mackerel with lots of garlic, rosemary and lemon, topping a nice ceviche of red snapper with cilantro or, fresh chopped dill over grilled salmon, nothing can bring that fresh touch better than fresh herbs!

besides using herbs chopped as is, we make lots of simple fresh herb sauces and toppings that go beautifully with fish and shellfish. pesto brings great flavor to almost anything. we made a mint pesto with wild salmon a couple weeks ago that was marvelous. our macadamia nut cilantro pesto is also a winner (try it with grilled scallops). gremolata, made with italian parsley, lemon zest and garlic is fantastic over monkfish ossobuco. monahan’s sauce grenobloise is full of parsley, basil and chives with a bit of anchovy, capers and reggiano parmesan – killer with any fish!

argentinian chimichurri sauce is a great herb sauce of parsley, garlic, oregano, and red wine vinegar. it is usually served as a marinade or sauce over beef or empanadas. my wife, lisa, has a wonderful chimichurri lamb dish that is a family favorite. her chimichurri recipe uses lemon juice and zest instead of vinegar, a good olive oil, lots of fresh garlic and lots of fresh rosemary. what could be better? you might think that this flavorful a sauce would overpower most fish and shellfish dishes but we grilled some gulf shrimp kabobs last night over grilled garlic scapes that were finger lickin’ good! for the chimichurri we went crazy with the herbs; instead of just parsley, garlic and oregano we also added dill, basil and rosemary. the results were fantastic! we grilled the shrimp in their shells, marinated in olive oil, garlic and monahan’s cajun seasoning. the bronzed shrimp kabobs served over the grilled scapes then topped with the garlicky, lemony, herb sauce was a wonderful combination! click here for the recipe.

monahan’s only sells wild gulf shrimp. support your u.s. shrimpers (not to mention the fact that our wild gulf shrimp have a better texture and taste than the farm raised imports). grilling them in the shell keeps in all the moisture and flavor. sucking those spicy, garlic infused shells is a great part of the experience. now fire up that grill and enjoy!