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Cook the Book: Rosemary and Chile-Grilled Shrimp with Lemon Zest

Posted by Lucy Baker, July 17, 2008 at 1:00 PM

Fairway's ten-year old seafood department is well-known as one of the freshest and best in New York. This is due In large part to head fishmonger Tony Maltese. Born and raised in Brooklyn, Tony was a fisherman long before he ever worked at Fairway—in fact, he once caught a prize-winning 760-pound bluefin tuna off the coast of Montauk. Needless to say, he is a firm believer in the Fairway adage to "Buy fish from people who fish."

Today's Cook the Book recipe is for Rosemary and Chile-Grilled Shrimp with Lemon Zest. If, like me, you lack a backyard grill, simply sear these shrimp on the stove in a hot frying pan. They're perfect hot or at room temperature, tossed in a salad, or served over couscous as a main course. The Food Life author Steve Jenkins recommends buying whole shrimp with the heads on: "all that gunk in there is flavor, no doubt about it." But if you're squeamish, peeled and deveined shrimp would still be delicious.

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Rosemary and Chile-Grilled Shrimp with Lemon Zest

- makes 4 servings -
Adapted from The Food Life by Steve Jenkins.

Ingredients

1 pound medium shrimp (24 to 32 shrimp), peeled and deveined, tails left on
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Fresh juice and zest of 1 lemon
3 to 4 fresh small red chile peppers, seeded and finely chopped
Leaves from 2 sprigs rosemary, chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
Kosher or sea salt to taste

Procedure

1. In a large bowl, toss the shrimp with the oil, lemon juice, chile peppers, rosemary, garlic, and a pinch of salt. Cover and refrigerate for 30 to 45 minutes.

2. Light the grill or heat a cast-iron frying pan over high heat until very hot. Remove the shrimp from the marinade and grill or sear them until just pink and opaque, about 1 minute per side.

3. Transfer the cooked shrimp to a platter. Sprinkle with the lemon zest and season with salt to taste. Serve immediately.

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Tags: Cook the Book, Fairway, grilling, mains, rosemary, seafood, shrimp, Steve Jenkins, The Food Life