The secret to making this recipe is in using tiny tomatoes that are the same size as the olives. If you don’t have a grill, a broiler will also give excellent results.
ServingsMakes 4 - 6 servings
Ingredients
Wooden or bamboo skewers
.9 kg (2 pounds) extra-large (16/20) brown or white wild American shrimp
8 large pitted kalamata olives
8 large pitted green olives
About 16 small round red, yellow, and orange tomatoes
71 ml (⅓ cup) extra-virgin olive oil
1 small clove garlic, minced
½ teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
½ teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
Coarse salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Preparation
1. Place the skewers in water to soak for about 30 minutes, and prepare a grill.
2. To prepare the skewered shrimp, place a shrimp on a flat surface and put an olive in the center of the curve. Slide a skewer through one end of the shrimp, continuing through the olive and through the other end of the shrimp. Repeat with more shrimp until the skewer is filled, each time using a tomato or olive of a different color. Continue, using remaining shrimp, olives, and tomatoes.
3. In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, garlic, thyme, and lemon. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and mix well. Brush the shrimp, olives, and tomatoes on all sides with the seasoned oil.
4. Grill, turning once, until the shrimp are just cooked, 1 to 2 minutes.
Denise Landis had been employed as an archeologist for seven years before a food editor hired her to test some recipes from a cookbook manuscript. This short stint led to longer assignments, and two years later she began testing recipes for the New York Times. She has been a professional recipe tester and editor for over 25 years, is the author of a New York Times cookbook, and has written for numerous publications. She is a member of the New York Chapter of Les Dames d’ Escoffier.