Grilled Jumbo Shrimp with Lime Butter Sauce

Jumbo Shrimp are a staple on most menus in Portugal.  Grilled and served with garlic butter or oil and lemon they’re absolutely delicious.  In fact 2Passos Restaurant does the most amazing ones I’ve ever tasted.  The only drawback is the price, they’re extortionate in restaurants.  Think €40 for two, or maybe even pricier! So when I found some at the fish counter whilst out shopping I just had to buy them.  If you can’t afford them out, cook them in!  Still not cheap at around €25 euros for 8 they were easily more affordable than buying them in a restaurant.

I decided to the grill the shrimp with lime butter sauce.  Citrus and seafood go so well together and the richness of the butter complements everything perfectly.

I have to confess to trying to cook these two different ways as I just wasn’t happy with how they turned out the first time.  For the first attempt I cooked the shrimp whole in a tin foil package.  I drizzled the shrimp with lime butter and placed the whole thing on the grill.  Although delicious,  the lime butter didn’t penetrate past the shell and the shrimp didn’t get the charred flavour as they didn’t actually come into contact with the grill.

Absolutely stunning but just missed the mark!

So we just had to give them another go the next week.  Oh the hardships of being a food blogger!  Cooking delicious food again and again until you get it just right!

This time they came out perfect and so that is the recipe I’m going to share with you guys.

The first thing to do is to make the Lime Butter Sauce.  Start by melting the butter (in a saucepan over a low heat or in the microwave for 20 seconds).  Then, grate the zest of the lime and squeeze its juice.  Add these to the butter and stir together.  Season well with plenty of salt and pepper and there you have it!  Easy and delicious.

Of course you could always add extra ingredients if you like to make it more complex.  Some chopped garlic or chilli would go nicely!

This time I decided to prepare the shrimp differently.  I took off the heads and then slit them down the middle to butterfly them. (You may also want to remove the black vein that runs down it’s back under the shell. This is the intestinal tract and is not harmful but may not be aesthetically pleasing!)

Then I took them outside and Dad and I grilled them for about 3-4 minutes until they had just turned from translucent to opaque (or until the shells turn from grey to pink).

Grilling up a storm with my daddy!

Then we drizzled the lime butter sauce over the top to ensure that the shrimp were completely coated in it (and left a little bit back for dipping).  I served them with some fresh watercress and lime wedges (but you could use any herb or salad you like) and they were ready to eat.This time it was a success.  Butterflying the shrimp meant that the sauce got inside and fully coated the meat.  The charring on the shells lent a delicious smoky BBQ flavour to the shrimp.  The sweetness of the shrimp meat went so well with the rich tartness of the lime butter sauce.  They were the perfect dinner to have, sitting by the pool on holiday.  Two huge shrimp, some roasted vegetables and plenty of delicious salads.  Absolute heaven on a plate!

Make sure you serve them with a finger bowl of hot water and a slice of lemon!  You will get messy eating these!

If you love shrimp you’ll like my Prosciutto Wrapped Jumbo Shrimp – sweet and salty at the same time and great for BBQs too!

Grilled Jumbo Shrimp with Lime Butter Sauce

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 5 minutes mins

Total Time 15 minutes mins

Course Main Dish

Cuisine Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, Low Carb, Paleo, Pescatarian, Portuguese, Primal, Refined Sugar-Free, SCD, Whole30

Servings 4 people

Ingredients

  

• 8 raw jumbo shrimp
• 100 g butter
• 1 lime juiced & zested
• fresh salad or herbs or lime wedges to garnish
• salt & pepper

Instructions

 

To make the Lime Butter Sauce

• Melt the butter in a saucepan over a low heat for a few minutes.
• Zest and juice the lime.
• Add the lime zest and juice to the butter along with plenty of salt and pepper and stir well.

Prepare the Jumbo Shrimp

• Remove the heads from the shrimp.
• Slice down the belly of the shrimp and open it outwards to butterfly it. (You may also want to remove the black vein that runs down it's back under the shell. This is the intestinal tract and is not harmful but may not be aesthetically pleasing!)
• Grill the shrimp for 3-4 minutes turning occasionally, until the insides turn from translucent to opaque and the shell turns from grey to pink.
• Drizzle the sauce over the cooked shrimp and serve garnished with some fresh herbs or salad and some lime wedges.

Allergy & Dietary Information for Grilled Jumbo Shrimp with Lime Butter Sauce

This recipe is Grain-Free, Gluten-Free & Refined-Sugar Free.  It’s also suitable for Paleo, Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD), Whole30 (if you use ghee instead of butter), Low Carb and Pescatarian Diets.

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