Rosemary and Lemon Grilled Shrimp with Double Corn Polenta

Serves 6 

Nutrition per serving– calories: 316, fat: 13g (saturated: 3g), carbohydrates: 26g, protein: 22g, fiber: 5g, sugar: 0g, sodium: 987mg

If you want to cook the shrimp in the broiler you will need to use metal skewers. Alternatively, you can cook them on a grill pan on the stove. 

Shopping for Shrimp; For this recipe, we liked using jumbo shrimp (16 to 20 per pound), but extra-large shrimp used  (21-25 per pound) work as well. We prefer untreated shrimp—those without added sodium or preservatives such as sodium tripolyphosphate. Most frozen E-Z peel shrimp have been treated (the ingredient list should tell you). If you're using treated shrimp, reduce the salt by ¼ teaspoon in step. 

Here's what to look for when shopping for polenta: Polenta is really a dish, not an ingredient. It refers to a porridge made from coarsely ground cornmeal. Packages labeled polenta mean that the grind of the corn is appropriate to make the polenta dish, but you can substitute regular medium or coarsely-ground cornmeal instead. Don’t use finely ground cornmeal or corn flour which have too fine of consistency and will give the finished dish a pasty texture.

For the polenta: 

• 6 cups water

• 1½ cups medium-grind polenta

• 2 cups fresh corn kernels (removed from 2 cobs) 

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 

• 3 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (1½  cup)

For the Shrimp: 

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive 

• 2 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary

• 5 cloves garlic, minced 

• ¼ -½  teaspoon red pepper flakes 

• Zest from 1 lemon and 1 tablespoon of juice 

• 2 pounds jumbo shrimp (U16-20), peeled and deveined

• 12 (10-inch) wooden skewers soaked in water for at least 30 minutes

• ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley 

• Calabrian chili paste for serving (See note below), or use your favorite chili sauce or paste, optional.

For the Polenta: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Combine water, polenta, corn, 2 teaspoon salt, and ⅛ teaspoon pepper in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Transfer dish to oven and bake, uncovered until water is absorbed and polenta has thickened about 40-50 minutes.

For the Shrimp: Whisk olive oil, rosemary, 4 cloves of minced garlic, red pepper flakes, lemon juice, and zest, and 1 teaspoon salt in a small bowl. Toss the shrimp in the oil mixture. Thread the shrimp onto sets of 2 skewers, pushing the shrimp so that they are nestled snugly together; you should have about 6-7 shrimp on each set of skewers. About 15 minutes before the polenta is done, preheat the grill. 

Turn all burners to high, cover, and heat the grill until hot, about 15 minutes. Leave all burners on high. Clean and oil cooking grate if using outdoor grills. Place skewers on grill and cook covered until charred, about 2-3 minutes. Flip skewers and cook until the second side is charred and shrimp are cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes, moving skewers as needed to ensure even cooking. Remove shrimp from skewers. 

Remove baking dish from the oven and whisk cheese into polenta until smooth and creamy. Taste for seasoning.  Top polenta with shrimp, sprinkle with parsley, and drizzle some Calabrian chili paste (if using.) 

Calabrian Chili comes from the toe of Italy, in the region of Calabria. It’s a hot pepper paste made from Calabrian chilies, which are fiery but also have some bright fruitiness. You can buy Calabrian chilies dried and crushed like red pepper flakes, preserved while in oil, crushed into a chunky paste in oil, or as fermented condiment (called bomba).  For this recipe, I used the latter. While the chile paste is certainly spicey, the fruity pepper flavor and funky umami brought out from the fermentation process adds so much complexity and flavor to this dish. 

You can buy bomba online but it can get pricey. At $3, Trader Joe’s version is super-affordable.