Grilled Shrimp On Sugar Cane Skewers

Name: Grilled Shrimp On Sugar Cane Skewers
Ingredients: 24 extra-large shrimp (1 ½ pounds), peeled and deveined; 2 tablespoons vegetable oil; 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice; 1 clove garlic, minced; Salt and freshly ground black pepper; ½ cup dark brown sugar; 1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces; ½ cup dark rum; 3 tablespoons Dijon-style mustard; 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar; ¼ teaspoon each cinnamon, ground cloves and black pepper; Pinch of salt; 12 sugar cane swizzle sticks (see note)

By Steven Raichlen

Published August 1, 2000

Total Time: 40 minutes
Rating: 4(8)
Comments: Read comments

These whole shrimp are skewered on sugar cane and basted with a rum-mustard glaze, making them great appetizers at a cookout. Assembling them is a snap: Just make a starter hole with a metal or bamboo skewer in the shrimp. Look for sugar cane swizzle sticks, thin, square-sided sticks, that make perfect skewers. All you need to do is cut off one end sharply on the diagonal to help ease the skewer through the food.

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Ingredients

Yield:6 to 8 appetizer servings, 4 light main course servings

FOR THE SHRIMP

24 extra-large shrimp (1 ½ pounds), peeled and deveined
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

FOR THE GLAZE

½ cup dark brown sugar
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
½ cup dark rum
3 tablespoons Dijon-style mustard
1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
¼ teaspoon each cinnamon, ground cloves and black pepper
Pinch of salt
12 sugar cane swizzle sticks (see note)

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

Step 1
Place shrimp in a mixing bowl and stir in oil, lime juice, garlic, salt and pepper. Marinate 15 minutes while you prepare glaze and skewers.
Step 2
Place ingredients for glaze in a saucepan, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, and simmer until thick and syrupy, 4 to 6 minutes.
Step 3
Cut swizzle sticks in half widthwise, and cut one end off each piece sharply on diagonal. Resulting skewers should be about 5 inches long and ¼ inch wide.
Step 4
Set up grill for direct grilling, and preheat to high. Using a metal skewer, make two starter holes in each shrimp, one toward head end, one toward tail. Insert a sugar cane skewer through holes. Repeat with remaining shrimp.
Step 5
Brush and oil grill grate. Grill shrimp kebabs until cooked, about 2 minutes a side, generously basting with glaze. Serve any remaining glaze as a sauce on the side.

Tip

Sugar cane swizzle sticks are sold at Citarella stores for $3.99 for 10 to 12 sticks. Gourmet Garage stores also carry them, in packages of 8 to 10 sticks for $2.99.