Spicy Grilled Shrimps Marinated In a Creamy, Nutty Sauce

Spicy, creamy, and nutty --- a perfect mix for the natural sweetness of prawns. The harmony of flavors will surprise you to an extent, but leave you wanting and eating more. The nuttiness brought about by the peanut butter is toned down a bit with the process of grilling. Coupled with the creaminess of the coconut powder, they balance out the spiciness of the chillies and shrimp paste. When combined together, they provide a perfect complimentary baste for the grilled shrimps.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup Peanut Butter (Flavor should not be too sweet)
• ½ cup Coconut Powder
• 3 tbsp Minced Ginger
• 4 tbsp Olive oil
• 3 small chillies, chopped. (or 1 tbsp chilli flakes)
• ¼ cup Cilantro
• ¼ cup Water
• 4 tbsp Spicy Sautéed Shrimp Paste
• 20 Pcs Prawns, Peeled and Deveined*

*To remove the vein of the shrimp, use a paring knife and make a slit in the center of the back of the shrimp, following carefully its arch. Pick out the vein using your hands. This slit in shrimps is what enables flavor to reach the innermost part of the shrimp, while the skin is what keeps flavor in once inside. This also reduces grilling/cooking time (as opposed to having no slit) so adjust accordingly.

PROCEDURE:

1. Combine in a bowl: peanut butter, coconut powder, minced ginger, chopped chillies, & cilantro. Mix with a spoon until smooth. Pour in water as needed until consistency is like that of heavy cream.
2. Prepare the prawns and put them in a plastic bag or microwavable container. Drizzle them with olive oil, seal the container, and swirl to ensure each prawn is coated.
3. Open the container/bag and add in ¾ of the liquid mixture into the bag. The ¼ remaining will be used as baste when grilling the shrimps.
4. Let the prawns marinade for at least half an hour at room temperature.
5. Prepare the grill, get it to about 350^oF. Put some oil on the grills to prevent the prawns from sticking. There’s really no standard temperature when perfectly grilling prawns so you’ll have to play it by sight and smell. Too low of a heat dehydrates the shrimp. Too high chars the outside of the shrimp before the inside is cooked all the way through.
6. Cook shrimps 30-45 seconds each side, constantly coating each shrimp with the baste.

NOTES:

• Do not freeze shrimp again if you bought it unfrozen.
• To remove/reduce the iodine smell coming from the prawns, soak it for 15 mins in a mixture of 1 tbsp baking soda and half a liter of water.
• Keeping the heads intact on the prawns adds additional flavor.
• Do not overcook shrimp. When they change colors from gray to pink. Overcooking dries it out and reduces the shrimp’s natural flavor.