spicy calabrian chili shrimp skewers (grill friendly)

we served shrimp skewers at our vietnamese wine bar night and they were such a hit! people loved the flavor and also loved how easy they were to eat. this time around, i really wanted to do another shrimp skewer (idk why, but wine bar always screams some kind of seafood element to me??) my partner though was a little hesitant because he thought it might feel too similar to our last wine bar. i disagreed but did promise him that i would do my best ot make it *feel* as different as possible from the last one. i switched up the flavor profile and the form factor — big head-on shrimp (yes, i peeled all the shrimp!), one per skewer, coated in a spicy garlicy chili sauce.

once again, these were a hit! the calabrian chili gives the shrimp this really good savory heat, with lots of garlic and a little freshness from the parsley and lemon. they get slightly charred on the grill, and keeping the shrimp whole and serving one per skewer makes them feel a little dramatic while still being very easy to eat. some people ate the heads and others didn’t!

i used:

• 16 large shell-on, head-on shrimp (the ones i got were 9-14 per lb, i peeled the shell off the body and deveined the shrimp)
• 2 tbsp calabrian chili paste (i use trader joe’s bomba hot pepper sauce)
• 3 cloves garlic, grated
• 2 tbsp avocado oil
• 1/4 cup parsley minced
• yakitori style wooden skewers
• lemon juice
• lemon zest

to make:

• mix together the marinade of calabrian chili paste, grated garlic, avocado oil, and parsley
• add the chili mixture to shrimp and mix until well incorporated. let marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes and up to 3 hours
• soak skewers for 30 minutes in water to prevent them from burning
• then skewer the shrimp from tail to head
• grill for 3 minutes on one side, flip and another ~2-3 minutes on the other side until cooked through. you can also grill these on the stove in a pan on medium heat.
• finish with a squeeze of lemon juice and a dash of lemon zest
• note: i served this on a roasted tomato emulsion which added a little tang and sweetness!