Ingredients: 1 kg extra large shrimp (peeled, deveined, tails intact) Pesto sauce: 1/2 cup dill leaves 4 garlic cloves (roughly chopped) 1/2 cup grated Parmesan 1/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans 1 tbsp lemon juice 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil Salt + pepper
Method: Wash shrimp under running tap water. Place in a strainer to drain excess water. Pat dry gently with kitchen paper towels. Lightly brush a grilling griddle with a very thin layer of oil; just until coated and glossy. In a food processor or a blender, combine all pesto sauce ingredients. Process until the mixture turns to a soft emulsion. Reserve one quarter of a cup aside and cover. Use remaining sauce to marinate shrimp. Pour into a non-reacting large bowl. Immerse shrimp into sauce; to be covered completely. Cover bowl and leave to marinate for one hour at room temperature. If time allows, you can refrigerate covered, overnight, then allow to reach room temperature, one hour before you grill, the following day. Heat grilling griddle on medium-high. By means of a pair of tongs, place marinated shrimp, one by one, on heated griddle; after shaking excess marinade from each. Do not crowd griddle. Grill on both sides, until shrimp turns pink and plump; with charred marks shown. Remove on to a dish aside. Repeat; until all shrimp quantity is grilled. Add reserved pesto sauce to grilled shrimp while hot. Toss well to cover evenly the whole quantity. Transfer to a serving dish. Serve immediately with mashed potato and sautéed vegetable.
*A version of this article appears in print in the 24 June, 2021 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly
