Harissa-Grilled Peel & Eat Shrimp

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A little seafood gets a dose of big flavor in this North African-inspired recipe for peel and eat shrimp from chef Daniel Bojorquez. Harissa, a smoky red pepper paste, brings some heat and can be made days ahead of time (if you have extra, it goes great on eggs, roasted vegetables and chicken). Add some crushed, salted peanuts to counter the acidity of the lime juice and enjoy.

Ingredients

for the harissa
  • 1 tablespoon caraway seeds
  • 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
  • 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
  • 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 4 tablespoons sweet paprika
  • 1 teaspoon salt
for the shrimp
  • 2 pounds wild-caught shrimp, head and shell on (whichever size is available at market)
  • 3 tablespoons lime juice, plus the zest from one of the limes
  • 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • Fresh oregano
  • Crushed salted peanuts

Directions

for the harissa
  1. Toast all seeds in a small skillet at low heat until you start to smell the aroma, being careful not to burn the seeds. They will toast quickly. Let the seeds come to room temperature and grind seeds into a fine powder using a mortar and pestle.
  2. Add crushed red pepper flakes and keep working the mixture.
  3. Add garlic cloves and olive oil until the mixture forms a paste.
  4. At the end, add paprika and salt.
for the shrimp
  1. Make an incision on the spine of each shrimp and de-vein.
  2. Mix lime juice, zest and olive oil together. Marinate the shrimp in the mixture, keeping the shells and heads on. Let shrimp marinate for an hour.
  3. Start your grill, let it get very hot (until you can only hold your hand over it briefly). Grill the shrimp for about 3 minutes each side with the cover of the grill closed.
  4. Once shrimp is cooked, dress with the harissa and squeeze of lime to serve.
  5. Garnish with fresh oregano and crushed salted peanuts in a bowl.

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