Grilled Rum-Soaked Shrimp with Mango Lime
Submitted by DEERMAN115
Grilled rum-soaked shrimp with tropical mango-lime relish, bell peppers, curry, and pineapple juice. Caribbean-inspired skewered shrimp with a sweet-spicy salsa for summer grilling.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
25 minREADY
1 hrsThese grilled shrimp borrow from Caribbean beach-bar cooking: rum-and-pineapple marinade, garlic, lime, and a bright tropical relish that brings mango, bell pepper, and red onion together with a surprising kick of curry powder.
The 2 to 4 hour marinade window is strict. The recipe spells out exactly why. Lime juice is acidic enough to start cooking the shrimp on its own, the same process that makes ceviche. Go past 4 hours and the shrimp texture turns mealy before they ever hit the grill.
The deveining technique with the ¼ inch incision from tail to head is worth doing properly. Run the shrimp under cold water with the cut open to wash out the dark digestive tract. Grilled shrimp without this step are gritty and taste muddy.
The double-skewer trick (piercing each shrimp twice, through the tail and then again through the upper body after bending) is the most critical grill tip. Single-skewered shrimp rotate around the stick and end up half-cooked on one side. Double-skewered ones stay put and cook evenly.
The mango-lime relish can be made up to 3 days ahead and actually improves after a day in the fridge. The curry powder mellows and the vinegar pulls the mango juices out to create its own tangy syrup.
Chef Tips
- Use large shrimp, at least 16/20 count per pound. Smaller shrimp overcook in seconds on hot grill and disappear into the relish.
- Soak wooden skewers in water for 30 minutes before using. Dry wooden skewers catch fire the moment they hit the grill.
- Leave the tails on the shrimp for easier pickup. They also make the finished plate look more polished.
- Discard the marinade, never reuse it. Raw shrimp contaminates the liquid; basting with it means raw seafood on cooked shrimp.
Variations
- Swap mango for ripe papaya or pineapple for a different tropical profile.
- Use dark rum for a deeper, more molasses-like marinade flavor.
- Serve the shrimp over coconut rice with a drizzle of the relish syrup for a full tropical plate.
Ingredients
Directions
Peel mangoes and slice fruit away from central pit.
Dice the mango fruit, red pepper, green pepper and onion.
Combine all the remaining ingredients in a bowl.
Mix lightly then add diced mango, pepper and onion.
Mixture will keep in the refrigerator for three days.
Peel the shrimp and make a ¼ inch deep incision on the top of each one (the side without the feet) from tail to the head.
Under cold, running water, open the incision and wash away any brownish-black waste matter.
In a large stainless steel bowl, combine the lime juice, pineapple juice, rum, garlic, and salt and pepper to taste.
Add he shrimp. Cover and refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours - no longer, or the shrimp will start to cook in the lime juice.
Remove the shrimp from the marinade and discard the liquid.
Run a skewer through each shrimp so that each is pierced in two places.
Put the skewer through the tail area, then bend the shrimp over and put the skewer through the thick section in the upper body area.
You should be able to fit 4 shrimp on a 6-inch skewer or 8 shrimp on a 10 inch skewer.
If you are using wooden skewers, be careful not to leave any gaps between the shrimp, or the skewer will burn through.
Place the skewered shrimp on a grill over medium-high heat.
Grill for about 3 to 4 minutes on each side, until the shells turn bright red.
The meat should be an even opaque white.
Remove the shrimp from the grill ad serve on a bed of Mango-Lime relish.
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