Food & Wine's Ginger-Garlic Shrimp with Tangy Tomato Sauce

 
Last night my cousins and sister, along with their spouses, came to our house for an evening of food and fun. We had gotten together during the summer and had promised to set another date during the year. Jeff and I had found some new recipes and what better an audience to try them on. We had a little bit of everything, cheeses, dips and breads, a vegetable tart, fish cakes, risotto and ended with Texas sheet cake.

As food was coming out of the oven or off the grill, they had a chance to taste a wide variety of dishes. Hands down, the top two choices were Carrot Top and Toasted Walnut Pesto and Saveur's Fish Cakes. They found the pesto delicious since it wasn't the traditional basil pesto. They liked the garlic and red pepper flake bite. The fish cakes were also a hit because they were light and the cod was fresh (that morning we went to Kyler's Seafood in New Bedford). They liked the taste of the fish cakes without it being fishy tasting.

Everyone then began to have individual favorites. Over the next week, we will be featuring all the food we served. We'd like to start with Food & Wine's Ginger-Garlic Shrimp with Tangy Tomato Sauce because we have served this appetizer to rave reviews over the past year. They do take some time to prepare but the results are worth it. The shrimp is cooked on the grill and it always tastes moist and flavorful with some garlic and ginger heat. The tomato dipping sauce is a wonderful compliment. I can't remember what disappears first the shrimp or the sauce. Hold on to this recipe for your next outdoor event, your guests will love you.

Note: I apologize for not being able to show the sauce, trying to take pictures during a party can be a challenge! Enjoy!

Ingredients

SHRIMP

1. 1/2 cup vegetable oil
2. 1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
3. 2 tablespoons minced garlic
4. 2 tablespoons finely chopped basil
5. 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
6. 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
7. 2 teaspoons kosher salt
8. 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
9. 2 1/2 pounds large shrimp, shelled and deveined

DIPPING SAUCE

1. 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2. 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
3. 1 large garlic clove, minced
4. 3 stalks of fresh lemongrass, tender inner bulb only, minced
5. 1 1/2 pounds tomatoes—peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped
6. 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
7. 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
8. Kosher salt

Directions

1. Marinate the shrimp: In a large bowl, mix the vegetable oil with the parsley, garlic, basil, ginger, lemon juice, salt and crushed red pepper. Add the shrimp and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 4 hours.
2. Meanwhile, make the sauce: In a medium saucepan, heat the vegetable oil. Stir in the ginger, garlic and lemongrass and cook over moderate heat until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Let cool to room temperature, then stir in the lime juice and cilantro. Season with salt. Transfer the sauce to ramekins.
3. Light a grill. Loosely thread the shrimp onto 10 skewers. Grill over moderately high heat, turning once, until lightly charred and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Transfer the shrimp to plates and serve with the tomato sauce.

 

Me, cousin Andria, cousin Sue, cousin Jane, cousin Terri, sister Karen.