Now that my Tuscan Blue rosemary bushes are big, I trim long sprigs and soak them in water to use for skewers of grilled shrimp wrapped with prosciutto. A perfect alfresco Mediterranean dinner as summer nears the end.
Grilled Shrimp Wrapped with Prosciutto
Long associated with Mediterranean cuisine, the strong, piney fragrance of rosemary is unmistakable. It grows everywhere in California. When we re-landscaped, I told the architect I wanted plenty of rosemary in the plan and she obliged. Besides being great for landscaping (because its drought tolerant), it smells wonderful in the yard and is always ready for culinary needs.
Shrimp is Quick and Easy
Grilling shrimp is an easy, fast dinner we do probably once a week, and the rosemary springs make a lovely presentation. Marinate the cleaned and shelled shrimp for about 30 minutes at room temperature, then skewer, wrap with Prosciutto and grill for about 5-6 minutes.
Serve the skewers on a bed of wild and brown rice or quinoa dressed with a little olive oil and some fresh herbs and you have a fast, easy and healthy dinner. Sometimes I brush the shrimp with a little maple syrup before grilling for extra flavor.
Rosemary Skewers
For the rosemary skewers I cut sturdy pieces about 14″ in length. If you don’t grow it, find a neighbor who does. Soak the springs in cold water to cover for 30 minutes. With your fingers, strip off the bottom three quarters of the leaves. This becomes the skewer. If the top green part gets a bit charred during grilling, stick a small sprig of fresh green rosemary in the top at serving.
If all you can find is short sprigs at the grocery store they work great as an appetizer too. FOR NO ROSEMARY - Of course this works with bamboo and metal skewers. The rosemary is more for presentation!
Equipment
- Skewers for grilling
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
- 4 14" springs of fresh rosemary or bamboo skewers soaked in cold water to cover about 30 minutes
- 1 ½ pounds jumbo shrimp shelled and deveined
- 4-6 ounces Prosciutto
- 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup optional
Instructions
- Combine olive oil, lemon juice, paprika, garlic, salt and pepper in a small bowl and whisk or stir together. Add shrimp, toss and let stand at room temperature about 30 minutes. At the same time soak your rosemary sprigs or bamboo skewer sticks.
- Hold rosemary sprigs and strip ¾ of the leaves off the bottom so you have room to skewer the shrimp. Drain off marinade and discard. Skewer the shrimp through tail and top, about 5 per skewer. It will depend on the size of shrimp you have.
- Slice Prosciutto into long thins strips about an inch or two wide and wrap them around the shrimp. They probably won’t wrap or look perfect, but don’t worry about it. They’ll taste great.
- Grill shrimp skewers on a hot, clean grill about 5-6 minutes total depending on the size of your shrimp and how hot your grill is. When they start to turn pink, turn the skewers. When done, serve drizzled with a little olive oil.
Reem | Simply Reem says
Oh this looks so beautiful and delicious....
Such a wonderful use of lovely flavors, Perfect....
Carrie says
How gorgeous are these? I love your photos! And the recipe sounds fantastic. Rosemary is one of my favorite herbs, but I don't think I've paired it with shrimp before. Sounds unique and delicious.
Suzanne says
These look fantastic. What a great way to gain flavor from the rosemary by using the stems for kabobs, love it!
Michelle K says
Hubby made this last night. The directions were easy to follow, and it came out delicious. We both like that it's a healthy dish as well. The rosemary skewers were fun and worked perfectly. We did use the maple syrup, but guess it either cooked off, or was subtle enough we didn't notice. Thanks for another great recipe!
Aunt Clara says
I found your blog through a picture on Pinterest and I think I am hooked. I will definitely bookmark it for future reference.