The Italian way with grilled shrimp, like most Italian grilling and indeed most Italian cookery, is simplicity itself. You marinate the shrimp briefly in fruity olive oil and lemon juice mixed with a few simple seasonings, then slap them on a hot grill for a few minutes on each side, just until they’ve turned color and cooked through, and ever so slightly browned. Serve them napped with more of the marinade, which does double duty as a sauce. That’s it. No fuss, no muss. And pure heaven.
Gamberoni alla griglia are really versatile. They’s great for informal cookouts on the backyard patio, but just as suitable as a starter or, in more generous portions, the main course for an elegant sit-down dinner.
Ingredients
Serves 4-6
- 1 kilo (2 lbs.) large shrimp or langoustines, preferably unshelled and, if possible, with heads still on
For the marinade/sauce:
- 250 ml (1 cup) extra virgin olive oil
- Juice of 2 lemons
- 1-2 garlic cloves, finely minced
- A few sprigs of fresh parsley, finely minced
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Directions
Whisk all the marinade ingredients together in a mixing bowl until well emulsified. Taste and adjust for seasoning. Add more of whatever you think it might need.
In another bowl, add the shrimp, unpeeled, and enough of the marinade to coat them nicely. Mix well and let it sit for about 30 minutes.
While the shrimp are marinading, prep and heat up your grill.
When the shrimp have marinated and the grill searingly hot, lay down your shrimp directly over the embers and grill no more than 3-5 minutes on each side, or until they have turned pink and browned a bit.
Lay the shrimp out on a serving platter and nap with some of the remaining marinade as a sauce. Serve with any extra sauce on the side for those who want more.
Notes on Gamberoni alla griglia
For making gamberoni alla griglia, you want your shrimp a decent size. Larger aka jumbo shrimp are less likely to overcook under the grill’s intense heat. In fact, best of all if you can find them are the langoustines called scampi in Italian in which case you’ll have made scampi alla griglia. Here in the US, the closest thing I’ve been able to find are the tiger shrimp you’ll find in many Asian supermarkets. Sometime dubbed the “poor man’s lobster“, they have fine flavor and meaty texture and are well worth searching out.
If you do want to use smaller shrimp, then I’d recommend skewers to avoid the shrimp falling through the slats. Cook even more briefly than the larger shrimp, of course. You may need to forget about their browning to avoid overcooking them, but they will be quite tasty anyway.
In most Italian recipes, the head and shells are typically left on, again to protect the shrimp’s delicate flesh from the grill’s brutal heat. Diners peel off the shells themselves, which you can make easier by cutting a slit in the shell down the ‘belly’ of the shrimp for easy peeling. It is said that the heads lend more flavor and it’s easier to tell whether the critter is fresh or not. In this country you will be hard-pressed, outside certain ethnic supermarkets, to find shrimp sold with their heads still on, but if you do, do give it a try.
If you don’t have an outdoor grill, or if the weather isn’t cooperating, no worries. You can prepare gamberoni alla griglia with a well preheated stovetop grill pan. In a pinch you could even run them under a hot broiler. Get them as close to the broiler as you can, on the top rack, and turn up the broiler as hot as it will go. Cooking times should be quick just as if you were grilling on an outdoor grill.
Variations
This sort of treatment for grilling seafood may be familiar to those of you who follow the blog for a while or know Italian seafood grills. Similar olive oil and lemon marinades work wonders on grilled fish, octopus, squid or lobster. And of course the iconic salmoriglio sauce from Sicily, so delicious on swordfish, also starts with an olive oil and lemon juice base.
One very common variation on this dish is to dip the shrimp in breadcrumbs just before grilling them. (Or in some versions, the breadcrumbs are added to the marinade.) The breadcrumbs will brown up quickly, adding some nice crunch and color to your shrimp. I especially like this variation for smaller shrimp, which cook too quickly to caramelize on their own. It is also useful in providing some protection, if you will, for pre-shelled shrimp. But just be careful not to actually burn the breadcrumbs. Better to place the shrimp away from the hottest part of the grill.
You can also mix things up a bit on the marinade. Oregano is a nice change from the usual parsley, for example. Or use thyme or marjoram if you’d like a less decisive flavor. And a pinch of red pepper flakes lend a bit of heat if you want it.
Post scriptum
You may have noticed that it’s been quite a while since my last post. Over two months, in fact. That’s the longest hiatus since I first started blogging in 2009! Sincere apologies for that. And thanks to those of you who have been nice enough to write in or leave a comment on the blog asking if I’m OK.
The reason, you may ask? Well, there’s no one reason. It’s been a perfect storm of circumstances that have kept me away from the blog lately. Some, like family visits and weekend trips, have been fun. Others, like intense work pressure and health issues, have been less than fun. But I do see the light at the end of the tunnel now, and if things go well with this post I’m now back to regular blogging. Thanks for hanging in there!
Gamberoni alla griglia
Ingredients
- 1 kilo 2 lbs shrimp or langoustines preferably unshelled and, if possible, with heads still on
For the marinade/sauce
- 250ml 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 lemons juice of
- 1-2 garlic cloves finely minced
- A few sprigs of fresh parsley finely minced
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Whisk all the marinade ingredients together in a mixing bowl until well emulsified. Taste and adjust for seasoning.
- In another bowl, add the shrimp and enough of the marinade to coat them nicely. Mix well and let it sit for about 30 minutes.
- While the shrimp are marinading, prep and heat up your grill.
- When the shrimp have marinated and the grill searingly hot, lay down your shrimp directly over the embers and grill no more than 3-5 minutes on each side, or until they have turned pink and browned a bit.
- Lay the shrimp out on a serving platter and nap with some of the remaining marinade as a sauce. Serve with any extra sauce on the side for those who want more.
And you might also like...
Cocktail di gamberetti (Shrimp Cocktail in the Italian Manner)
Shrimp Scampi
Grigliata mista di carne (Mixed Grilled Meats)
Patate dolci alla griglia (Grilled Sweet Potatoes)
Pesche grigliate (Grilled Peaches)
Pasta con asparagi e gamberi
Calamaretti alla piastra (Griddled Baby Squid)
Pollo al mattone (Chicken under a Brick)
Braciole di maiale alla brace (Grilled Pork Chops)
Carciofi alla parmigiana (Artichoke Parmesan)
36 Comments on “Gamberoni alla griglia (Grilled Shrimp)”
We tried this last night and it is now our favorite way to fix scampi or prawns. Simple, quick to cook, and so delicious. We had it with some rice pilaf, a nice champagne, and a few oysters on the half shell. YUMMM. Thanks for the recipe and all your work on this blog.
GOD BLESS YOU FRANK. THIS RECIPE HAS TO BE THE BEST AND SERVED WITH A NICE CRUSTY BREAD, OLIMPIA FROM PHILADELPHIA
Thank you, Olimpia, for your kind comment!
Seafood prepared in the simplest ways like yours Frank are my favorite. Welcome back, you were missed.
Thanks, Karen! Nice to be back.
I love Italian cuisine for its simplicity but always phenomenal flavour profiles, and this dish proves this statement. Shrimp, garlic, lemon, and herbs – nothing extra needed!
Definitely! Thanks for stopping by, Ben. 🙂
I’m glad to see that you’re back, and i hope things continue to go well for you. Thanks for the shrimp recipe! I love shrimp, and don’t really need to fancy them up to enjoy them. This simple recipe seems perfect.
Thanks, Jeff! And glad you like the recipe. And I totally agree, why mess with perfection?
Glad to have you back, Frank! Hope all is well with you now. This is one of my fav recipes and here in Australia we love them!
Thanks, Marcellina! Nice to be back. And glad you like the dish. But then again, who wouldn’t, amirite?
I’m so glad to see you back, Frank – I was excited to see this recipe pop into my inbox! And you chose a great recipe here, too. I love how simple grilled shrimp is – a couple of minutes, and you’re all set! I’m intrigued by that breadcrumb version, though – I’ve never tried anything quite like that.
Thanks, David! Glad to be back. :=) The breadcrumbs are definitely worth a try, they lend a nice flavor and crunchiness.
So glad you’re back! You are so right… finding shrimp with their heads on is near impossible in this country. Even our Asian markets now sell them without the heads. (The fishmonger at the Asian market said they use the heads to make broth and then sell that.) We love grilled shrimp, though I’ve never made them with the shells on. I will have to give it a try and hope that taking the shells off the table isn’t too hard or messy. By the way, I assume that is your father above… We are hoping to head to Rome in October. I will put that restaurant on our list.
Yep, that’s him alright! A quick Google search tells me the place is still around, so I’m going, too!
I am relieved to read that all in all everything is working out, welcome back. This shrimp recipe sounds absolutely wonderful for a summer evening with friends. Love the simplicity of it too. Have you tried wild Argentinian shrimp? They are my latest favourite. Great texture and flavour and they come in larger sizes (no heads, but the shells are intact), definitely recommend them.
Well, I’m not quite out of the wood yet, to be honest. But doing better, thanks! And no, I have’t tried Argentinian shrimp but by coincidence I saw some, frozen, in an Asian supermarket over the weekend. I’ll have to go back and buy a bag…
Lovely to see a post from you – trust that means matters are fair and equal on your side ! Love grilling large prawns within hours of their being caught ! As we are in hard lockdown with thousands of police and army only too ready to write out $A 5,000 fines if one is found out of doors . . . methinks it may be awhile until I can indulge 🙂 !!!
Too bad, Eha! But I take it you must have delivery services you could order from? That’s how we survived lockdown over here… Good luck!
Glad to see a new post from you. And what a post! Such a simple, yet so SO flavorful dish. Truly good stuff — thanks.
Thanks so much, John!
Nice to see you back in action, Frank!
The first time I had these was when I was 19 and visiting Sicily for the first time. Needless to say, the bar was set to the highest mark! Same thing with swordfish in Sicily; it’s so hard when you’ve had the best for the first time, but I’d love to see if I can get gamberoni here in LA. Thanks for the reminder of an amazing dish. 🙂
Thanks, Christina! Sicilian seafood is amazing… Glad I could bring back those fond memories.
Caro Frank, grazie per le fantastiche ricette. Mi ricordano cosi tanto la mia infanzia, trascorsa in Italia, sulle rive del Lago Maggiore. Anche se vivo da 18 anni in Canada, il gusto e i sapori della cucina italiana riscaldano il mio cuore ogni giorno.
Sei troppo gentile, Raoul! Grazie per il tuo commento. Sono contento che ti piaccia così tanto il blog. :=)
Perfect treat for hot summer evenings ! Glad to read you’re fine !
Thanks!
They look delicious – I keep meaning to post a similar but different Spanish version. You probably know this already, but for those who don’t, gambero and the Spanish gamba are directly related to the Italian gamba meaning leg, because of the shape of the shrimp and in turn ham in English, jamón (Spanish) jambon (French) and the French for leg, jambe – no doubt there’s more…
I’d certainly be interested to hear about the Spanish version of this dish. Will be looking out for it. And no, I actually didn’t know about all these connections in terminology. Fascinating!
Glad you’re okay! I just received 2 pounds of these guys with the heads on! Can’t wait to use your recipe. What perfect timing.
Perfect timing, indeed! Hope you like it, Mimi.
I don’t know why I put in so many exclamation marks in that last comment.
Good to see you back! In Australia the tiger prawn is very common but I don’t know about being the poor man’s lobster these days! Lobster may actually be cheaper!
Ha! You’re quite right about that. They’re none too cheap here in the US, either…
Welcome back. Brought back memories of one of my favorite dishes, Scampi alla griglia, at the ristorante al’
Archo di San Calista in Trestevere.
And it looks like it’s still there! I’ll have to give it a try next time I’m in Rome.