Recipe: Grilled shrimp with honey

Ingredients

1. Sauce: Honey-Ginger BBQ Sauce* (recipe below)
   
2. Shrimp:

• 4 pounds jumbo (21-25 per pound) or extra-large (26-30 per pound) shrimp in shell, peeled, leaving tail and adjoining shell segment intact, and deveined (See Chefs Notes)
• 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon salt

3. Special equipment:  18 to 24 (12-inch) wooden skewers (depending on size of shrimp used), soaked in water for 30 minutes

Shrimp Preparation

1. If necessary, pat shrimp dry, then thread about 6 shrimp (through top and tail, leaving shrimp curled), onto each skewer, without leaving space between shrimp.
2. Prepare grill for direct-heat cooking over medium-hot charcoal (medium-high for gas);
3. Meanwhile, brush shrimp with vegetable oil and sprinkle evenly with salt.
4. Lightly oil grill rack. Grill shrimp, covered only if using a gas grill, turning over once, 2 minutes. Brush shrimp with some sauce from the saucepan, then turn. Brush shrimp with additional sauce then grill until just cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve with reserved sauce.

Chefs’ notes:

• In terms of shrimp size, go by the count per pound versus the descriptive terms such as jumbo and extra-large. If the count is not displayed, ask.
• Sauce can be made 3 days ahead and refrigerated once cooled. Reheat before proceeding.
• Shrimp can be threaded onto skewers and refrigerated on a tray, loosely covered with plastic wrap, 2 hours before grilling.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup mild honey
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1 1/2 tablespoons hot sauce, such as Tabasco
• 4 large garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons minced peeled ginger
• 1 teaspoon salt

Honey-ginger BBQ Sauce Preparation

Stir together all sauce ingredients in a 2- to 2 1/2-quart heavy saucepan and briskly simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until thickened and reduced to about 1 1/4 cups, 25 to 30 minutes. (Stir frequently toward end of cooking to prevent sticking.)

Chefs’ notes:

• Sauce can be made 3 days ahead and refrigerated once cooled. Reheat before proceeding.
• If making the shrimp and the corn, double the recipe for the sauce and cook it until it is reduced to 2 1/2 cups.