"come as you are" Grilled Shrimp Skewers with West African Peanut Sauce

Grilled Shrimp Skewers - quick gourmet seafood appetizer with a spicy West African peanut sauce.

About once a month or so I make a big batch of this spicy peanut butter based sauce which I included in a previous post. I then figure out different dishes I can convert to African recipes or fusion via the sauce. This sauce compliments everything well from veggies to meat proteins and today, these grilled prawns.

I'm thinking if you're like me, odds are you already have a grilled shrimp recipe. For those of you who don't it ain't that hard, so don't sweat it; I'll leave a simple tutorial to ensure you don't get dry overcooked shrimp skewers. This dish works because the charred smoky grill flavor marries well with the creamy, rich peanut sauce.

I'm particularly fond of the dish because it's a come as you are type dish. I dressed it up by slapping a ridiculously good leftover sauce on it, but it's really a no fuss, no prep, but comforting and time-saving appetizer that allows me to just have that time with the family on a busy weeknight. We just grab a stick/skewer and sit around and vibe on nothing and everything.

Are prawns and shrimp the same thing?

I actually used prawns in this recipe, but don't get confused by the different terminology. For all intents and purposes for this dish and post they're the same where it matters - taste, texture, and nutritionally. I mean technically there are differences in taste and texture, but you'd have to be Alton Brown or Gordon Ramsey to notice. For those curious about the differences let me share, as it comes down to 3 things:

Anatomically prawns don't have that same bend/curl in their bodies as we see with shrimp. Also, prawns have 3 pairs of legs vs. 2 for shrimp.

Size-wise prawns tend to be bigger. However, a regular prawn could be smaller than a jumbo prawn.

Where they dwell matters. Prawns are freshwater vs. sea-oriented shrimp.

Should I remove the shell and/or the head?

I think both are personal choices. I can make the case for peeling or not. There are people who swear by keeping the shell and heads on for more flavor. I'm okay with that, but I ain't sucking no heads. If you're using a marinade definitely peel the shrimp. If not feel free to keep the peel on and let it impart some flavor on the shrimp. Regardless of your preference, definitely buy fresh shrimp with peel on. I find that peeled, deveined shrimp that has been frozen is pretty bland in flavor.

Do I have to grill outside?

Not necessarily. I frequently use a cast iron stove-top grill pan especially when the weather doesn't cooperate. It's the same cooking approach sans the flames bearing down on you. Likewise, you may not want the hassle of cranking up the grill for only 5 minutes of cook time.

Grilled Shrimp Skewers Cooking Tips

• Go for larger shrimp. Grilling requires high heat and smaller shrimp can easily be overcooked at those heat levels
• Grill the same day you buy your fresh shrimp as they tend to go bad quickly.
• Total grill time is around 5 minutes. Keep in mind the shrimp will continue cooking even after removing them from heat. Given this is okay to pull them off a minute early as the continued cooking will ensure their doneness
• Avoid peeled and deveined shrimp; cleaning before freezing may cause a loss of flavor and texture.
• Save the shells in use them later to flavor stock
• Soak the skewers ahead of time so they don't burn

making grilled prawns

If you make these grilled shrimp skewers as a gourmet appetizer, please come back and leave me a comment below with your feedback. Definitely take a photo of the dish and be sure to tag #foodfidelity so that I can see them.

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These make for great tapas style menu items. You can add Spanish style padron peppers as well.

For other shrimp based ideas try these fried hot shrimp sandwich or shrimp and grits.

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