Grilled Shrimp Scampi

This is a super-easy marinade I made for the first time last weekend. Wonderfully garlicky and easily customized to suit your palette. Fresh lemon, parsley and garlic give the dish its bright flavor. I used shrimp, but I think you could successfully use this with chicken or scallops also.

Grilled Shrimp Scampi

1/3 c. olive oil
1/3 c. fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
3 to 4 T. chopped fresh parsley
4 to 5 cloves of minced fresh garlic
ground black pepper to taste
crushed red pepper flakes to taste (optional)

2 lbs. medium to large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined

DIRECTIONS:
In a large, glass bowl, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, parsley, garlic, and black pepper. Add some crushed red pepper, if desired. Place shrimp in a shallow glass dish (a rectangular Pyrex baking dish works great) and pour marinade over shrimp, tossing to coat. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes (2 to 4 hours is better). (You can also marinate in a large ziplock bag if that's a method you prefer.)

Lightly oil your grill grate with vegetable oil. (Plain olive oil will burn and smoke at high heat). Preheat grill for high heat. Thread shrimp onto metal or wood skewers. Pierce the shrimp twice, once near the tail and once near the head. (If using wood or bamboo skewers, SOAK THE SKEWERS FIRST in water for about 15 minutes so they don't burn.) Discard any remaining marinade.

Grill for 2 to 4 minutes per side, or until opaque. (Note: shrimp cook really quick!)

Serves about 6

QUICK recipe!
Prep time: less than 30 minutes
Marinade time: as little as 30 minutes
Cook time: 4 to 8 minutes