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The catchphrase, “Throw another shrimp on the barbie!” is a clear reference to the Land Down Under, aka, Australia. (“Barbie” is an affectionate name for a barbecue grill, of course.”)
From Australia’s multicultural influences come this French-inspired recipe featuring prosciutto, basil, and the anise-y notes of Pernod.
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No dish better epitomizes Australian grilling than shrimp on the barbie
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Here's how you'd make it if your ancestors came from the Mediterranean. Sweet basil, salty prosciutto, smoky shrimp
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That's my kind of shrimp on the barbie. First, the shrimp. I have what are called U8s here
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That means they're 8 to a pound. They're big, plump shrimp. They're peeled and deveined, and I've left the shrimp tails intact
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So, step number one. lay out your shrimp and season with coarse sea salt
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and freshly ground black pepper turn the shrimp over and season the same way
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on the other side next wrap each shrimp in a basil leaf
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and a slice of prosciutto. Then pin the prosciutto and basil to the shrimp
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with a bamboo skewer. And there are your shrimp and the barbie
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Now, on the other side of the Tasman Sea, Australia's neighbors and rivals, the New Zealanders, known as Kiwis
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have a similar preparation called Apostles on Horseback. The apostles in question, these big, plump sea scallops
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First step, make the marinade. It starts with dry white wine, freshly squeezed lime juice, honey
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and salt. Whisk the ingredients together. Then marinate the scallops in the honey wine mixture
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for one to two hours in the refrigerator And here a batch of scallops I marinated and drained earlier To assemble the apostles on horseback
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lay a half strip of bacon on the cutting board. Lay another strip on top and wrap the scallop in bacon
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Pin the bacon to the scallop using a flat bamboo skewer. Why a flat bamboo skewer
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If you use a round skewer, the scallop and bacon will spin around
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Whereas if you use a flat bamboo skewer, they will stay stable
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As always when you're grilling outdoors, keep your ingredients on ice until they go on the grill
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Now let me show you the grill. I've lit some natural lump charcoal in the chimney starters
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and you want to dump it out to form a three-zone fire
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Dump out the coals in the back of the grill and then spread the coals out in a thick layer in the back
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That's your hot or searing zone. Thinner layer in the center. That's your moderate or cooking zone
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And leave yourself a coal-free zone in the front. That is your cool or safety zone
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That's how you control the heat on a charcoal grill. You move the food closer to the hot zone or further away
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Brush the grill grate with a stiff wire brush to clean it
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And oil the grate with a folded paper towel, dipped in oil and drawn across the bars of the grate
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and just give your grill grates a quarter turn so the trapdoor for the wood chips is in the back
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Next, make a couple of grill shields. Start with a piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil
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and fold it in thirds like a business letter Then place your grill shields on the leading edge of the grill
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The grill shield will keep the ends of the bamboo skewers from burning
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Then place a handful of soaked hardwood chips on each mound of coal
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Now normally I do this after the food has gone on, but because the shrimp and scallops cook so quickly
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I'm putting the chips on first to give them time to start smoking
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Arrange your shrimp on the barbie on the first grill with the exposed part of the skewers on the shield so they won't burn
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And to place a second row of the shrimp on the grill, Just make sure that the exposed end of the bamboo skewer is on the first row
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That will keep it from burning. And now the apostles on horseback
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So once the prosciutto and shrimp are browned on the bottom, turn them over
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Remember, the shrimp in the center are going to cook a little faster than the shrimp on the periphery
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so don't be afraid to move the shrimp from the outside in, the inside out
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The whole idea here is you want the shrimp to cook evenly
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You can see I'm taking it nice and easy. If one of the shrimp starts to brown too quickly
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simply pull it off on the grill shield. That'll slow down the cooking, then you can move it back
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Do the same with your apostles on horseback. Another common mistake I see a lot
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is people put too much food on their grill. I always leave myself at least a third of the grill food-free
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That way I've got room to maneuver. So how do you know when the shellfish is done Well it looks done but give it the poked test If it feels firm to the touch you in business
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And these apostles on horseback smell pretty incredible. the bacon and the wine marinade
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Kiwis are equally proud of their barbecue tradition. This recipe was inspired by a loyal reader and viewer
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who watches Primal Grill on New Zealand television. So here are your apostles on horseback
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Just to finish up, you can squeeze a little fresh lime juice over them. And we have one more preparation for the shrimp on the barbie
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Warm some absinthe or other anise-flavored liqueur. Place it in a saucepan and just warm it over the fire
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Warm the absinthe just to body temperature. Don't let it boil. And then to ignite it, use a butane match
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and pour it over the shrimp on the barbie. Absinthe was the famous French spirit
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that the Impressionists drank. It was illegal for many years, and now it's legal again
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Let's see which of these rivals win, the shrimp on the barbie. Mmm
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This is so simple, but there are a lot of complex flavors, the basil de prosciutto
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Really nice. Mmm. Mmm, these are really nice too
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The sweet scallops with the honey, the smoky bacon. So there you have it, two winners from the far side of the world
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Hot off the grill. And that's cut
Cooking & Recipes
BBQ & Grilling
food
Meat & Seafood