Summer, especially in the South, is hot. Shrimp, especially these marinated shrimp, are a personal favorite when dinner often becomes a chore. In the months of June, July, or August, the thought of turning on the oven is enough to make one weep. Summer swelter aside, one of the things I love most about living in Mobile is having access to some of the freshest, most delicious seafood in the world.
Shrimp are so versatile (just ask Bubba) and are lightning-fast to cook. The Gulf is home to several varieties of shrimp: white, brown, pink and Royal Reds, to name a few. Just make sure whatever shrimp you buy is wild American shrimp; “eating local” never goes out of style.
One of my favorite ways to do shrimp in the summer is just toss them with a few ingredients and let them chill in the fridge. (That’s it? You bet.) You just boil some peeled, raw shrimp, toss them with acid (lemon and red wine vinegar), olive oil, herbs, and add in whatever accoutrements you desire. For color and flavor, I love red onion, tomatoes, red bell pepper, and Kalamata olives. You can use as few or as many of these additions as you’d like. The star of the show is the shrimp.
I’ve seen recipes for marinated shrimp and pickled shrimp. What’s the difference? For pickled shimp, one would omit the oil and triple the vinegar, adding pickling spices like mustard seeds, coriander, allspice and bay leaves.
Marinated shrimp are pickled shrimp’s less fussy cousin, a delicious, last-minute solution to a potluck dilemma. These shrimp are tender, tangy, and perfect on a cracker (or just by itself). Marinated shrimp are a perfect and unexpected dish to bring to a potluck. Paired with a salad, they make a great light dinner. They’re sensational as an appetizer with crackers or at brunch. To
These need to be marinated for at least 4 hours. I like them to sit in the fridge overnight for the best flavor.
Marinated Shrimp
Ingredients
- 2 pounds large raw shrimp (21-35 count), peeled
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- ½ cup olive oil
- ½ of a red bell pepper sliced thinly
- ½ cup pitted Greek olives
- 1 pint multicolored cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 bunch parsley chopped
- 4-5 cloves of peeled garlic sliced thinly
- 3-4 leaves basil sliced into ribbons
- 1 lemon sliced
Instructions
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Fill large pot halfway with water and boil.
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Add shrimp (thawed, if frozen, and stir until shrimp turn pink and curl up, about 2-3 minutes.
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Drain, rinse thoroughly with cold water, (toss some ice cubes in there for good measure) and set aside.
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In a large container with a lid, whisk the lemon juice, vinegar and olive oil together.
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Add all the other ingredients, then the cooled shrimp, and toss to coat.
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Salt and pepper to taste.
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Refrigerate for at least 4 hours and serve.
Have you ever made something like this? Let me know in the comments! Making this recipe? Don’t forget to tag me on social media and pin the image below!
