grilled shrimp - 3 ways

There's so much for me to prattle on about shrimp, or prawns as us Aussies call them. They are without a doubt one of my favourite things to eat. Pretty much anything from the sea is though. Prawns are inexpensive (they are, a bag of the frozen raw ones will set you back a whole $6 for a pound. More in Costco because you get more, and they're better), they are low in calories - 4 shrimp is about 30 calories, low in fat and carbs, are incredibly versatile - you can put them in pretty much anything and they cook in a milli second, what's not to love? Here are 3 quick shrimp grilling recipes. I generally serve them just like that as an appetizer or add some buttered pasta and a salad. 

honey garlic prawns

3 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 garlic cloves, minced

3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1 teaspoon crushed dried chili

1 lb (500g) raw, large shrimp (prawns), peeled and deveined leaving tails intact

salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Heat the barbecue to medium and grease grill. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Cook on hot grill for about 2 minutes per side or until prawns change color and are just cooked; do not over cook. Serves 2 to 3.

photography Bruce Nimmer, Food styling and art direction Lovoni Walker

lemongrass shrimp

2 lbs (1kg) medium-large raw shrimp (prawns), peeled and deveined leaving tails intact

2 small red chilies, finely chopped

4 garlic cloves, crushed

1 stalk lemongrass, white part only, finely chopped

1 tablespoon soy sauce

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 lime, quartered

Combine chilies, garlic, lemongrass, soy and oil in a bowl. Add shrimp; stir to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Heat barbecue to medium and grease grill. Thread shrimp lengthways onto metal skewers, allowing one shrimp per skewer. Grill for 2 to 3 minutes per side or until shrimp are pink and just cooked. Serve with lime wedges. Serves 4 to 6.

 jalapeno lime shrimp

1/4 cup jalapeno jelly

1 tablespoon lime zest

1/4 cup lime juice

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

24 large, raw shrimp (prawns), peeled and deveined, leaving tails intact

JALAPENO LIME DIPPING SAUCE

1/3 cup lime juice

3 tablespoons jalapeno jelly

1 teaspoon fish sauce

Heat barbecue to medium and grease grill. Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl; cover. Marinate in fridge for 15 minutes. Grill shrimp 2 minutes per side until pink and just cooked.

To make the jalapeno lime dipping sauce, stir ingredients in a small saucepan until jelly is dissolved. Serve with shrimp. Serves 4.