Before you decide to throw a shrimp on the BBQ, how about adding some real flavor?

Try threading big fat juicy raw shrimp onto rosemary twigs; with a squeeze of fresh lemon, some lemon zest, black pepper and a swipe of extra-virgin olive oil – you’ll have the most delicious, mouthwatering grilled shrimp in just a few minutes.

To prevent the rosemary from igniting on the grill, I recommend soaking the twigs in water for a few hours first and if the woody stalk end is a bit thick, sharpen it to a point with a knife so that it doesn’t make too big a hole in the shrimp.

You’ll need very large, cleaned raw shrimp – shell on.

I suggest about 3-4 shrimp per rosemary skewer. How many you make will depend on the size of your crowd and their capacity to eat shrimp.

Wholefoods and other quality food stores will sell good sized rosemary stalks; they’re usually folded up in their plastic container so look for those that have a decent woody end for spearing the shrimp. Better yet, cut twigs from your own rosemary bush.

Rosemary Grilled Shrimp

ROSEMARY GRILLED SHRIMP

(Allow 4-6 shrimp and one rosemary ‘skewer’ per person)

Action:

Immerse the fresh rosemary in a large bowl of tepid water for a few hours – drain.

Spear the cleaned, raw shrimp through the thickest part and very carefully slide them up the rosemary stalk, allowing space for 3-4.

Squeeze fresh lemon juice over the shrimp skewers; scatter with some finely grated lemon zest along with a good grind of black pepper. Drizzle with olive oil, cover and chill in the fridge for a couple of hours to allow the flavors to develop.

The grill needs to be smoking hot and these will only take a few minutes.

It still feels like summer!