[CH] Recipe

Steve Nearman (chiles@flash.net)
Tue, 20 Jun 2000 21:20:17 -0400 

Have not tried this yet, but looks good - enjoy.

Grilled Shrimp Salad With Lemongrass & Chiles

For a milder dish, use fewer Thai chiles and seed the serranos before mincing
them.

1 lb jumbo (8 to 12 per lb) shrimp
2 tsp. sea salt dissolved in 1 cup water
4-8 (1 to 2 inch) fresh red Thai chiles, minced
2 fresh serrano or jalapeņo chiles (preferably red), minced
1 tbl. minced garlic
3 tbl. Asian fish sauce (Thai naam pla)
3-4 tbl. fresh lime juice
2-3 tsp. sugar
2 stalks fresh lemongrass
2 small shallots, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise (1/4 cup)
2 scallions (white parts and half of greens), thinly sliced
1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, torn into pieces

Accompaniments: green-leaf lettuce, sliced tomato, and fresh cilantro or mint
sprigs

Prepare grill for cooking.

Soak shrimp (still in shells) in salt water 5 minutes, then rinse well in a
colander.

Pound all chiles with garlic to a coarse paste with a mortar and pestle and
stir in fish sauce and lime juice and sugar to taste. Transfer to a large bowl.

Snip shells of shrimp with scissors down center of back, from wide end to
second-to-last tail section. Butterfly shrimp in their shells, making a deep
incision along length of back where shells are cut, and devein.

Discard tough outer leaves of lemongrass and trim root ends. Thinly slice lower
6 inches of stalks.

Grill shrimp on their sides on an oiled rack set 5 to 6 inches over glowing
coals until shells are pink and slightly charred and shrimp are just cooked
through, 3 to 4 minutes on each side. (Alternatively, grill shrimp in a hot
well-seasoned ridged grill pan over moderate heat.)

Toss shrimp (with shells still on) with chile mixture and stir in sliced
lemongrass, shallots, scallions, and mint.

Serve on a bed of lettuce and tomato with cilantro or mint.

Serves 4 as a first course.

Gourmet ~ June 2000

Enjoy the heat,
Steve

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