My husband is a shrimp lover. Actually he loves most seafood and most messy things. If it were up to him, we would eat putzy meals that use a million bowls every night. Assembling spring rolls one bite at a time at the table? Of course! Applying six layers of sauce to each morsel? You bet! So of course, a fussy mess like peeling seasoned shrimp from the shell and removing tails for each and every bite, causing us to use about 500 napkins in one sitting, is right up his alley. The gift I had ordered him a couple weeks prior did not arrive in time for Father’s day, so I made his favorite dish instead.
Grilled Cajun Pull & Peel Shrimp
Purchase a medium sized, raw in the shell shrimp of choice. About a pound. If frozen, let it thaw.
Dry with a paper or cloth towel and place in a glass bowl. Add two tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle with two tablespoons of your favorite Cajun spice mix. I like Penzey’s spices for ease. I mix a tablespoon of their Cajun spice with a tablespoon of their berebere mix, which is quite hot. Toss your shrimp with the oil and seasoning and cover your bowl to place back in the fridge until you are ready to cook.
Ready for grilling?
Thread your shrimp on your skewers. It is a little tougher with the shells! Heat up your grill to a high heat if propane or what you estimate to be very high on charcoal. You want red coals for searing.
When your grill is ready, sear your skewer of shrimp for three minutes on each side. Not any longer. Remove from heat and set aside.
Enjoy hot with a squeeze of lemon! Dig your thumps into the shrimp belly to pry apart the shell. The tail should split along with the rest of the shell. Remove the shell and legs and you are ready to eat. Pull & peel shrimp is a favorite appetizer at our house, but it is super messy, so keep a damp washcloth nearby.
I am thinking we should grilled up some crayfish next! What do you think?
This looks delicious! Do you know a gluten free cajun seasoning brand? Thanks!