Grilled Shrimp and Shishito Peppers

HEY GRILL-FRIENDS! It’s officially summer, which for me means marinades and dry rubs, and hanging out on the patio with a glass of wine while Mr. Flavorcollector mans the grill. It’s not a gender thing — I just like to play with spices, and he’s fussy about meat temperatures.

Here’s a super easy recipe for marinated shrimp and grilled Shishito peppers with a quick soy and sesame oil sauce.

INGREDIENTS

1 large lemon, cut in half. Place on grill cut-side down until charred.
1 lb Shishito peppers
1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined (I like Trader Joe’s Red Argentinian Shrimp, in the freezer section, just make sure to thaw in the fridge before marinating.)

Marinade for shrimp:

2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp Spanish paprika
1 tsp garlic powder

Mix ingredients together in a bowl, add shrimp and marinate in fridge for 30 min.

Meanwhile, wash and skewer your Shishito peppers. If you’re using bamboo skewers, you’ll need to soak them first. We really like our metal skewers — just remember that the metal ring will get hot on the grill, so turn them with tongs and not your bare hands.

Sauce for peppers:

2 tsp olive oil
1 tsp sesame oil – Kadoya brand is my favorite
1 tsp soy sauce
A few shakes of Shichimi Togarashi (Japanese seven spice powder), optional
Juice of the grilled lemon, added to your liking

You can rub the Shishito peppers with some olive oil before skewering, but it’s not necessary, since we’re going to dress them with sauce after grilling. Grill for about 3 min. per side, try to blacken the skins a bit. Don’t let them go too long, as you want them to maintain a bit of a crunch. Toss with the sauce, and don’t forget to squeeze in some of that grilled lemon.

Skewer your shrimp and grill for 2-3 min. per side. The shrimp will turn opaque when they’re cooked.

Serve and enjoy! This is a great dish over salad or pilaf, or as a side with potato and pasta salads.