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Victor’s Shrimp
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Mar 31, 2025
When it comes to grilling gambas, those huge sweet shrimp from Spain’s southeast coast, world-renowned chef Victor Arguinzoniz insists that less is more. A light mist of olive oil and wine keeps the shrimp moist, while crunchy crystals of sea salt reinforce the briny flavor.
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0:00
Less is more food, as in the less you do to it, the better it tastes
0:04
This may surprise you coming from Spain's archly innovative grill restaurant, Eshtabari
0:09
A mist of wine, a spray of extra virgin olive oil, are all you need for the shrimp to obtain fiery perfection
0:17
For the richest flavor, buy shrimp with the shells intact. As the shells caramelize over the fire, you'll get an incredible taste
0:25
cut down the back of the shrimp using kitchen scissors. Then open the shrimp up, and if there's a vein
0:38
you want to scrape it out with the tines of a fork
0:45
Now, continue cutting the shrimp down to the bottom shell, and just slide your thumbs under the shrimp
0:54
to loosen it from the shell. This will make it easier to eat
1:01
Put the whole thing back together, and your shrimp is ready for skewering
1:06
I like to use flat bamboo skewers. That way the shrimp stay in place and won't spin
1:13
And pass the point of the skewer through the bottom of the shrimp and then through the top of the shrimp and assemble your kebabs just like this
1:26
Leave half of the skewer shrimp-free so you have a handle for grabbing the kebab
1:37
So we're working with natural lump charcoal. You can see the shape of the original branch
1:44
Light the charcoal in a chimney starter. Place the charcoal on the top, a crumpled piece of newspaper, or a paraffin starter in the bottom
1:53
The beauty of a chimney starter, the vertical shape funnels the heat upright
1:58
so you light the coals evenly without having to use petroleum-based lighter fluid
2:03
So I have two chimneys lit already, and what you want to do is dump out the coals
2:11
this thing by the way is called a bale and it helps you direct the coals
2:18
then put the grill grate in place and this grill is called a kamado cooker it's a ceramic grill
2:30
big thick walls that hold the heat and as always we start with a hot grill we clean it with a stiff wire brush and oil it with a folded paper towel dipped in vegetable oil and drawn across the bars of the grate And now the shrimp So grab a grill shield
2:52
and place it on the leading edge of the grill. Then take the shrimp and arrange the shrimp
3:02
so that the bamboo skewer is over the aluminum foil grill shield
3:14
Now the cool part. First, mist the shrimp with dry white wine from a spray bottle
3:23
Then a squirt of extra virgin olive oil. A sprinkle of coarse sea salt
3:30
and freshly ground black pepper. The cooking time is quick, a minute or two per side
3:38
So simply turn the shrimp. You get this really amazing fragrance from the roasted shrimp shell
4:00
Keep spraying and grilling the shrimp until the shells are darkly browned
4:07
and the shrimp meat is cooked through. And if some of the shells start to burn
4:14
before the remaining shrimp are cooked, simply pull them onto the grill shield
4:18
where it's cooler. Finally, to test for doneness, use the pinch test
4:25
You want to squeeze the shrimp. If they feel firm to the touch and the flesh is white, the shrimp are cooked
4:32
And I'll serve the shrimp on a cast iron griddle, reminiscent of a Spanish plancha
4:46
Check these out. Just want to sort of peel the shell off the shrimp
4:56
Mmm. It's really nice. The wine goes great with the smoky scent
5:04
from the shrimp shell. Shrimp grilled with wine and sea salt because sometimes when you're grilling
5:14
the less you do, the better it tastes
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