Grilled Shrimp with Turmeric Mojo Sauce is like a tropical curry sauce with a kick and it’s a great recipe for a last-minute grilling idea that’s sure to impress guests. If you make the mojo ahead of time it will literally only take 15 minutes to marinate the shrimp and 2 or 3 more to grill. That’s barely enough time to pop open a cold one!
Shrimp, unlike chicken or steak, can take on the flavors of a bright, acidic marinade in minutes, making it a good choice for last-minute grilling. You actually don’t want to let shrimp sit in the marinade for too long because the acid in the citrus will start to firm up and cook the flesh. Even though the original recipe didn’t say how long to marinate, we did for 15 minutes, which I noted below.
Because we had a two-pound bag of extra large shrimp in the freezer, we thawed the entire amount. The supermarket wasn’t carrying habaneros, but I always keep jars of pickled chiles on hand and substituted serranos with their seeds, which added plenty of heat. You can determine how much to include based on your own tolerance for spiciness.
We both concur, turning the shrimp would be much easier if threaded onto metal (or soaked wooden) skewers instead of flipping each crustacean individually… next time. Rice, or couscous steamed with shellfish stock makes a nice base on which to lay the shrimp and soak up some of the extra marinade. And a grilled veggie like asparagus, rounds out the meal without using additional cookware.
Grilled Shrimp with Turmeric Mojo Sauce
Ingredients
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6 garlic cloves, smashed
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2 habanero chiles, seeds removed, chopped
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1 3″ piece ginger, peeled, thinly sliced
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⅓ cup fresh lime juice (about 2 limes)
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⅓ cup fresh orange juice (about 1 large)
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1 Tbsp. sugar
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2 tsp. unseasoned rice vinegar
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½ tsp. ground turmeric
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⅓ cup vegetable oil, plus more for grill
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Kosher salt
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1½ lb. large shrimp, peeled, deveined
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Cooked short-grain white rice or couscous (for serving; optional)
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Flaky sea salt
Directions
- Prepare a grill for medium-high heat. Pulse garlic, chiles, ginger, lime juice, orange juice, sugar, vinegar, and turmeric in a food processor until combined and almost smooth. With the motor running, gradually stream in ⅓ cup oil and process until emulsified.
- Pour half of the sauce into a small bowl; season with kosher salt. Set aside for serving.
- Transfer remaining sauce to a medium bowl and add shrimp. Season with kosher salt and toss to coat. Marinate about 15 minutes.
- Clean and oil grate, then immediately arrange shrimp on grill. Grill until bright pink and lightly charred, about 1 minute per side.
- Divide shrimp among bowls. Spoon reserved sauce over; sprinkle with sea salt. Serve with rice or couscous if desired.
Recipe found in the June/July Grilling Issue of Bon Appétit
Accounting for Taste 