Jamaican-Spiced Shrimp

The Caribbean, just like Japan, India and most eastern cuisines, have their own blend of spices to make curry. We were inspired by the flavours of jerk marinades to make this one-pot shrimp extremely flavourful. And, of course, we could not miss out on an easy and large serving of rice and peas!

To make our version of the curry spice, mix 2 ½ tablespoons of turmeric powder, 1 tablespoon each of ground coriander, ground cumin, Jamaican all spice and yellow mustard seeds, 2 teaspoons each of ground ginger, ground nutmeg and carraway seeds, ½ teaspoon of ground cloves and 1 teaspoon of ground black pepper and ½ teaspoon of ground white pepper. Add a pinch of ground cayenne pepper to this mix or up to 2 teaspoons depending on how spicy you want to make it. Adding just a pinch will make it very mild and easy to eat with a side of hot sauce.

Thaw, rinse and drain 2 Lbs of small raw shrimps, – If they`re not fresh, – and make sure they have no peel, vein or tail. You can leave a few of the tails on for decorating but taking them off will make eating this dish much more enjoyable.

In a large bowl, mix the cleaned shrimp with 1 tablespoon of good quality olive oil, 2 teaspoons of the curry spice, 3 tablespoons of brown sugar, the juice of a ½ lemon and a sprinkle of salt and black pepper. Make sure to coat all of the shrimp with the spice, cover the bowl and place it in the fridge for 20+ minutes.

Rinse and strain 2 cups of rice and 1 cup of red-kidney beans. Add them to a medium pot with 4 cups of water, 2 teaspoons of the curry spice and salt to taste, and bring it to a boil. Once it boils, lower the heat, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes, until the rice is cooked. Reserve your rice and peas in a warm spot.

Small dice 2 red onions, slice 1 green or red pepper and 1 hot pepper into small pieces, and thinly slice 3 garlic cloves. Sauté onions and peppers in a large pot with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 2 tablespoons of the curry spice on medium heat for about 5 minutes. Mix in the sliced garlic and 2 teaspoons of dry thyme and cook for another 2 minutes.

Add 2 tablespoons of amber ale to the pot and stir well with a wooden spoon, making sure to scrape the bits from the bottom. Mix in a ¼ cup of warm water, turn the heat up to high and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. The water should reduce to about half, if it starts getting too dry, add more water 1 tablespoon at a time.

Add the shrimp and marinade to the pot, lower the heat back to medium, cover with a lid and cook for another 10-15 minutes, until the shrimp is fully cooked. Stir occasionally.

Serve with the ‘rice and peas’ and extra flavourful hot sauce.

Jamaican-Spiced Shrimp

Servings: 4

Time: 50 Minutes

Ingredients

2 Lbs Small Raw Shrimp, Peeled and Deveined - tail off

2 Red Onions

3 Garlic Cloves

1 Hot Pepper

1 Sweet Green or Red Pepper

2 tsp Dry Thyme

3 Tbsp Brown Sugar

2 Tbsp + 2 tsp Jamaican Curry, recipe below

2 Tbsp Beer (an ale or amber ale would be ideal, but light beers work well too)

½ Lemon, juiced

2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

¼-½ Cup Water

Salt and Pepper to taste

2 Cups Rice

1 Cup Canned Beans, your favourite

Jamaican Curry Ingredients

2 ½ Tbsp Turmeric Powder

1 Tbsp Ground Coriander

1 Tbsp Ground Cumin

1 Tbsp All Spice

2 tsp Ground Ginger

1 Tbsp Mustard Seeds

1 ½ tsp Ground Black and/or White Pepper

½ tsp Ground Cloves

1 tsp Ground Nutmeg

Pinch Cayenne Pepper, more if you want it to be spicy

1 tsp Carraway Seeds

Step-by-Step

1.       Marinate the shrimps in 1 Tbsp of olive oil, 2 tsp of curry spice, brown sugar, lemon juice, salt and pepper for at least 20 minutes.

2.       Cook 2 Cups of Rice with 1 Cup of rinsed canned beans and 2 tsp of Jamaican Curry Spice and salt.

3.       In a large pot, sauté the chopped onions, sliced sweet and hot peppers and 2 Tbsp of Jamaican Curry in olive oil for 5 minutes on medium heat. Add sliced garlic and thyme and cook for another 2 minutes.

4.        De-glaze the pan with the beer and add the water, cook for 10 minutes on high heat, stirring occasionally.

5.       Once the vegetables are all tender and the water is half reduced, add the shrimp with all the marinade, lower the heat to medium, cover with a lid and cook for another 10-15 minutes, until the shrimp is fully cooked. Stir occasionally.

6.       Serve with the spiced rice and enjoy!