Recipe: Grilled Shrimp Skewers (Italian)

GRILLED SHRIMP SKEWERS

2 pounds medium shrimp, unshelled weight
3 1/2 tablespoons each extra virgin olive oil and vegetable oil
2/3 cup fine, dry, unflavored bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon garlic chopped very fine
2 teaspoons parsley chopped very fine
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Skewers
Optional: charcoal grill

Shell the shrimp and remove their dark veins. Wash in cold water and pat thoroughly dry with cloth kitchen towel.

Put the shrimp in a roomy bowl. Add as much of the olive and vegetable oil, in equal parts, and of the bread crumbs as you need to coat the shrimp evenly but lightly all over. You may not require all of the oil indicated in the ingredients list, but if you have a large number of very small shrimp, you may need even more. When you increase the quantity, use olive and vegetable oil in equal parts.

Add the chopped garlic, parsley, salt and pepper, and toss thoroughly to coat the shrimp well. Allow them to steep in their coating a minimum of 20 to 30 minutes, or up to two hours, at room temperature.

TO COOK:
Preheat the broiler at least 15 minutes before you are ready to cook, or light the charcoal in time for it to form white ash before cooking.

Skewer the shrimp tightly, curling one end of each shrimp inward so that the skewer goes through at three points, preventing the shrimp from slipping as you turn the skewer on the grill.

Cook the shrimp briefly, close to the heat source. Depending on their size and the intensity of the fire, cook about two minutes on one side and 1 1/2 on the other, just until they form a thin, golden crust. Serve piping hot.

Makes 4 to 6 servings
Source: Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking, by Marcella Hazan