Butterflied Shrimp
with Salsa Verde
Where ever you may find them, there is something rather wonderful about the sight and smell of juicy, freshly caught shrimp being grilled at a restaurant or at a street stall. It’s a sight I have been lucky enough to experience in places as far apart as India, Mozambique, Scotland and Greece.
In each place they might come with a different accompaniment or dressing. But for me, the very best I have eaten was in Palermo, Sicily, where the large shrimp were butterflied, grilled with just a sprinkle of olive oil and then coated with a dressing of mixed herbs and more oil. With a sprinkle of lemon juice just before serving, they were perfection.
Butterflied Shrimp with Salsa Verde Recipe
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(Serves About 4)
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Ingredients​
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24 Shrimp (15-21 Co
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8 Raw Large Freshwater Shrimp (or 8 Large Raw Black Tiger Prawns)
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1 Teaspoon Salt
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¼ Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil​
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1 Teaspoon White Pepper
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1 Lemon (Juice and Zest)
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1 Teaspoon Paprika
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1 Shallot (Minced)
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2 Cloves Garlic (Minced)
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1 Cup Fresh Italian Parsley (Finely Chopped
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½ Cup Fresh Basil (Chopped)
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1 Tablespoon Capers
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Instructions
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Butterfly the shrimp, by using a pair of scissors to cut down the top part of the tail shell and then use a knife to cut through the head.
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Clean out the inside of the shrimp to remove the thin black intestinal tract.
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Sprinkle with a little salt and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
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Blend all the rest of the ingredients to form the salsa verde. Some people prefer to do this in a blender. I like to use a mortar and pestle to give a chunkier version.
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Either on an outdoor or a stove top grill, grill the shrimp for about 2 minutes a side. Try and get a small amount of char on the shells, which adds to the flavor.
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Place the shrimp on a serving plate and drizzle with the dressing of salsa verde.
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Sprinkle with lemon juice just before serving.