I find most of my recipes via the internet, so it's not often that a magazine cover grabs my attention... but Bon Appetit's June issue did just that. They looked delicious and simple, and they were exactly that. Prep took all of 10 minutes, and the skewers were on the table in under 20. Even if they were naked, I bet they'd taste great because shrimp + andouille = winning combination. But the sauce... oh the sauce! It's smoky and spicy at the same time, perfectly suited for the shrimp and a great accent to the andouille. For Fathers Day I served this over some jambalaya style rice, and like I said before - it rocked my taste buds!
Shrimp and Andouille Skewers with Spicy Smoky Sauce
adapted from Bon Appetit
Sauce:
3/4 C olive oil
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp dried thyme, chopped
5 tsp smoked paprika
4 tsp red wine vinegar
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
freshly ground black pepper
Skewers:
12 6" bamboo skewers
12 extra large shrimp (16-20 count), peeled and deveined
12 slices andouille sausage, sliced about the same thickness as the shrimp
12 grape tomatoes
12 2-layer sections of red onion, cut about the same thickness as shrimp/sausage
To make the sauce: Combine all the ingredients. Divide into 2 bowls - one to glaze before grilling, one to serve with the cooked skewers.
Soak the skewers for at least 30-60 minutes so they don't burn when grilled. Thread each skewer with a piece each of shrimp, sausage, tomato and onion (any order will do).
Heat the grill (or grill pan) to medium high. Brush skewers with the glaze (from the glazing bowl... don't cross contaminate with the serving bowl!). Grill, turning and brushing occasionally with more sauce, and cook for 6-8 minutes.
Transfer to a platter and serve with the second bowl of sauce. Mmmm smoky.