Give shrimp scampi a flavor blast

Shrimp. Butter. Garlic. That trio is the basis for shrimp scampi, a restaurant classic that goes back about 100 years and helps keep Red Lobster in business. A local Red Lobster manager, who wished to go unnamed, said, “At any given time, you can bet somebody in the kitchen is making it.”

But when you take that sweet, buttery shrimp and give it a blast of grilled flavor, as we do here at Chuck’s Food Shack, it takes it to another level. And it’s a fast weeknight meal, taking less than 10 minutes to cook.

Here’s how to do it.

Let’s start with the shrimp.

Get the biggest ones you can, because they are the most forgiving on the grill, and get them uncooked. I like to peel my own so I can use the shells for seafood stock later, but by all means get them already peeled to save some time. Don’t get too hung up on “fresh” vs. frozen, because it’s likely they were all frozen at some point.

Tails make it easier to handle shrimp for dipping. Since that’s not an issue here, you can leave them on or remove them, as you prefer.

But you should devein the shrimp as that little digestive tract is unpleasant to think about, and it does add a somewhat gritty texture to the finished product. Just run your knife down the middle and give it a slight twist, then wipe it down with a paper towel to get any remnants you may have

missed.

I also like to brine my shrimp overnight.

When you are ready to cook, set your grill for an indirect setting at medium-high heat

(400 degrees) with the charcoal on one side. For gas grills, light the burners just on one side. Spray the grates with a nonstick cooking spray.

Instead of skewering your shrimp on cheap, thin bamboo skewers, use wooden chopsticks, which are highly resistant to flaming up. Skewer six shrimp with two chopsticks so they can be flipped easily.

Then season the shrimp with seafood dry rub before painting on butter sauce. I like a San Antonio-made blend called Flippin Fins Seafood Rub that I spotlighted in a recent Food Shack column, but Italian seasoning and Old Bay are proper substitutes.

The cook on the grill goes fast and — bad news — there won’t be time to finish a beer. But the good news is you’ll be eating soon.

Place the skewers on the cool side of the grill, and keep on flipping and painting them with that buttery bliss. The sauce is loaded with fat, so as it hits the coals or burner, it will send up a plume of smoky flavor.

I’ll put this technique up against anything on the restaurant scene. My only advice is to cook more than you think you’ll need, because these skewers will go fast.

And don’t forget the lemon slices for an extra splash of goodness.

Marvin Pfeiffer / Staff photographer Brined, seasoned and sauced shrimp are skewered and grilled.

Marvin Pfeiffer / Staff photographer Grilled shrimp scampi is a quick dish that makes a weeknight dinner special.