Grilled Marinated Shrimp and Chorizo
with Spanish Sherry Vinegar

Wine suggestion
A fruit-bomb Barbera with good acidity: Corino Barbera D'Alba "Vigna Pozzo," 1997

The inspiration for this dish comes from the Four Seasons restaurant in New York City. The combination of pork and shellfish works as well here as it does in many dishes, such as clam chowder. I see this preparation as conceptually Spanish in tone, so I use Spanish sherry wine to splash on the vegetables at the end. While the recipe is simple to prepare, please note that the shrimp must be marinated overnight.

Yield: 8 appetizer servings or 4 light entrées

Marinade and Shrimp

• 1/4 cup parsley,
• 1/4 cup cilantro, minced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1/4 cup semi-dry Spanish sherry wine
• 1/4 cup Spanish olive oil
• 1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs
• 1/4 teaspoon ground mace
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon Hungarian hot paprika
• 1 Tablespoon kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 large pinch saffron
• 24 large shrimp, shelled and deveined
• 1 red bell pepper, stemmed, deribbed, and seeded
• 1 yellow bell pepper, stemmed, deribbed, and seeded
• 1 geen bell pepper, stemmed, deribbed, and seeded
• 2 cucumbers
• One 12 inch chorizo, cooked and cooled
• Peanut oil
• 2 Tablespoons Spanish sherry wine vinegar
• Lime wedges, for garnish
• Salt and pepper to taste

Mix all marinade ingredients in a large stainless steel bowl. Add shrimp and toss, coating them evenly. Refrigerate overnight.

Dice the peppers into 1/2-inch pieces. Peel the cucumbers; cut them in half lengthwise, remove the seeds, and cut into half rings 1/4-inch thick. Combine peppers and cucumbers in a bowl until ready to serve.

Slice the cooked and cooled chorizo into sixteen 3/4-inch slices Heat and lightly oil the grill and arrange the shrimp and sausage on the surface. Grill until just done.

Meanwhile, heat a large skillet and add enough peanut oil to just coat the bottom. When the pan is hot, toss in the vegetables. Season, and when just cooked, add vinegar. Stir to evenly disperse the vinegar and the seasonings.

Arrange a line of the vegetables on each plate and arrange the shrimp and sausages over the vegetables. Garnish with wedges of lime.

Note: The root vegetable jicama may be prepared and included for a crunchy, slightly apple flavor and an extension of the Spanish image.

Copyright © 1996 by Norman Van Aken