7.14.15 Grilled Sambal Shrimp with Peach Salsa
As long as I can remember, I’ve loved spicy food. I’m always finding ways to doctor up my food to make it just a little bit hotter - a generous sprinkle of chile flake, a glug of hot sauce, smattering of fresh chile - the hotter the better in my opinion. That peppery, piquant, chile flavor always makes me happy.
So you can only imagine how happy I was recently when I grilled up these wonderfully spicy shrimp. And not only were they delicious, but also incredibly easy to make. A quick soak in a bright, flavor-packed sambal and sriracha marinade, a couple of turns on the grill, a brush with a bit more spicy marinade, and these fiery little guys were ready to eat.
Now I’m all about spicy food, but sometimes you need something to temper all of that heat a bit. Which is where this juicy, sweet, cooling peach salsa comes into play. Its sweetness rounds out the flavor of the shrimp, and keeps the dish from being too crazy hot. Of course, if you’re worried it won’t be hot enough, you can always add a few chiles to your salsa as well to keep the heat going. All told, this is a marvelous summer supper, whether eaten as is, atop a bed of greens in summer salad form, or even wrapped in a tortilla as tacos. In any case, it’ll make you happy.
Grilled Sambal Shrimp with Peach Salsa
serves 2-3
shrimp:
- ¼ cup fresh lime juice
- 2 Tbsp sambal oelek (chile garlic paste)
- 2 Tbsp sriracha chile sauce
- 2 Tbsp brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
salsa:
- 2 medium peaches, pitted and finely chopped
- 1 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 Tbsp chopped fresh mint
- 1 Tbsp finely chopped red onion
- 1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
- 1 small jalapeno, finely chopped (optional)
- pinch of salt
1. Heat your grill to medium heat
2. Make the marinade for the shrimp by whisking together the lime juice, sambal oelek, sriracha, brown sugar, and soy sauce. Place shrimp in a bowl and pour ¾ of the marinade over shrimp, tossing to make sure shrimp are well coated. Set remaining ¼ of the marinade aside and let shrimp marinate while you prepare the salsa.
3. For the salsa, combine all of the salsa ingredients in a bowl and mix together. Let salsa sit while you grill the shrimp.
4. Skewer the shrimp on metal or wooden skewers (if using wood, make sure to soak skewers in water first so they don’t burn), making sure to leave a little space between the shrimp.
5. Grill shrimp over medium heat until cooked through, brushing with the reserved ¼ of the marinade throughout the grilling process.
6. Remove cooked shrimp from skewers, place on a plate and serve topped with the peach salsa.
