On day 8, we had shrimp smoked in our Grapevine & Cherry blend. We actually smoked the shrimp on day 7, along with a wheel of brie. We'd planned a quick overnight getaway on day 8 (to take in some beautiful fall colors) and wanted to bring along a delicious Wine'd Up in Smoke dinner to enjoy out in nature. And, of course, we wanted to keep the challenge going!
Preparing the shrimp couldn't be easier:
As we nearly always do, we started by marinating the shrimp in the fridge for a few hours in salt, pepper, olive oil and garlic (the "spog" marinade). Then we put the shrimp on skewers and smoked them using the Grapevine & Cherry blend. And that's it. Other than watching the shrimp to make sure they weren't overcooked, it wasn't much work for such delicious results!
Chef's Tip for Grilling Shrimp: The biggest mistake people make with shrimp is overcooking it, which causes them to become tough, rubbery, and dry. Shrimp cook very quickly, and when they are left on the heat too long, the delicate proteins contract excessively, squeezing out moisture and leading to a chewy texture that lacks the sweetness and tenderness of properly cooked shrimp. Additionally, overcooked shrimp lose their subtle, slightly briny flavor and can taste bland or overly salty. To achieve the best texture and flavor, shrimp should be cooked just until they turn opaque and pink, usually only 3-4 minutes per side.
Chef's Tip for Smoking Shrimp: Cold smoke at 125-150 degrees for about an hour. It's not cooked all the way, it's smoked. Then when you are ready to eat it, finish cooking it with whatever you are planning to eat it with that night. Same rule applies -- don't overcook it.
Once smoked, we grilled up some vegetables to serve with the shrimp, made a few twice baked potatoes, and we had our dinner all ready to go.
We actually bring our own food with us quiet often on trips when we're headed to small towns and more remote locations. Rather than hoping to stumble across a decent dining experience, we prefer bring along our own 'sure thing.' Then, we just need to find a beautiful location (shady park, lovely hotel patio, beautiful overlook) and we have all we need to create a nice evening and a lasting memory. In tonight's case, we opted for the shady hotel back patio area, since we wanted to heat up our food in the room's microwave first.
To see what we did with the remaining shrimp, check out tomorrow's dinner: cherry smoked shrimp tacos
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To find out more about the Wined Up in Smoke blend used in this recipe:
