Grilled shrimp with pesto is a quick and easy dinner full of Mediterranean flavour which looks spectacular and tastes amazing when prepared on a Cedar wood plank. If you haven’t tried shrimp and pesto together, give it a go as it is such a good combo, and a great taste for spring and summer.
When buying shrimp, select the frozen jumbo shrimp that’s labelled shell split and deveined. The “fresh” shrimp you see in the seafood section at the supermarket is usually thawed frozen shrimp so you’re better off buying it frozen and defrosting it yourself. Running the shrimp under cold water will do that quickly, then you can peel them if you’ve opted for the shelled version.
Cedar Plank Shrimps coated in Pesto – Serves 4
- 1 cedar plank, soaked for at least an hour
- 20-25 shrimp, cleaned, deveined and patted dry
- 1 bunch of Italian parsley
- ½ a cup of basil (packed)
- the zest of 2 lemons
- 1 large garlic clove, finely grated
- 1 tablespoon of toasted pine nuts
- 2 tablespoons of grated parmesan
- a pinch or more of red pepper flakes
- olive oil
Step 1:
Mix the pesto up in a blender and use all the herbs, garlic, lemon zest, parmesan, pepper flakes and toasted pine nuts along with some olive oil. Set a little bit aside, two tablespoons or so, for brushing on the grill.
Step 2:
Toss the shrimp in the mixture, making sure it is coated all over. Let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes to marinate.
Step 3:
Take your board out of the water and pat it dry, then rub the top only with a light coat of olive oil.
Step 4:
Place your cedar board on a clean and dry baking sheet for ease in carrying it out to the grill. Arrange the shrimp on top. An easy way is to place 2 together to form a circle. You can also skewer the shrimp with metal or well soaked wooden skewers.
Step 5:
Cook the shrimp on medium high heat until it’s nice and pink, brushing them with the remaining pesto and turning them over halfway through. Be careful not to overcook them as shrimp is best when it’s just cooked through. That’ll take no more than a few minutes.
Step 6:
Take the 2 lemons that were used to make the zest, cut them in half, drizzle with olive oil and place them cut side down on the grill. You can take them off when nice grill marks are formed.
Step 7:
Serve your shrimp right from the plank and enjoy!
Serve this dish with the grilled and fresh lemon wedges for a hit of citrusy freshness! You can eat the shrimp as is and share a big platter with friends and family, making sure you have plenty of napkins. You can also serve it as a main with a nice garden salad, pasta, rice, potato salad or veggies. Roasted asparagus is our family’s favourite.
