APLK: Smoked Shrimp

Post and images by guest blogger, Rebecca White, of A Pleasant Little Kitchen. 

Visit her full blog or find out more about her here. 

Cold, crisp days are some of the best. They are made even better when the air is mingled with a waft of slow burning wood and slow smoking meat.

Smoking meats have become one of my husband’s hobbies. From brisket to chicken to pork, almost every month there is a smoked meat on the calendar. And every month Market Street continues to provide the best selection of products to choose from: wood smoking chips, meat, thermometers, spice rubs (the list is so long!).

We love this outdoor cooking activity. It gets the family outside and it makes our outdoor living space a kitchen as well.

Recently we have dived into smoking fish. Salmon has been our focus, but I’ve had a hankering to try shrimp.

Smoking shrimp is not as time consuming as it is with a terrain animal. This shellfish is small and lightweight. If you’re looking for a quick smoke, and one that is unique, shrimp is for you.

Begin with selecting a quality shrimp. The fish monger at Market Street has a beautiful supply of shrimp from which to select. Ask the fish monger which shrimp they would suggest to smoke—they have a wealth of knowledge about seafood!

After a quick coat in spices and oil, the shrimp is ready to sit in the smoker for about 45 minutes to one hour.

A fun aspect of adding Smoked Shrimp to your monthly menu is Market Street’s ample supply of grilling rubs and seafood condiments. The barbecue rubs to the condiments makes smoked shrimp unique not only in the cooking method, but also in its service as well.  

Here’s to a weekend of outdoor smoking—may the outside be cold and the smoked shrimp delicious!

Smoked Shrimp

Author note: This recipe calls for a barbeque rub that contains no salt. To ensure this, read the ingredients on the back of the bottle. If you do use a barbeque rub that has salt in the ingredients omit the 1 1/2 teaspoons of kosher salt. After smoking the shrimp, salt to taste. When smoking shrimp, use a fruit or light flavored wood.

2 pounds raw, peeled shrimp   

4 tablespoons extra- virgin olive oil

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt (plus more to taste)

3 teaspoons favorite no-salt barbeque rub       

salted butter, melted  

lemon wedges

Prepare the grill for smoking and heat to 225 degrees.

Place the olive oil, kosher salt and grill rub in a large bowl. Mix well. Add the shrimp to the mixture and stir to thoroughly coat the shrimp with the mixture. Let marinade for 30 minutes.   

Place the shrimp into the smoking set-up. Smoke for 45 minutes or up to 1 hour. Remove and salt to taste. Serve warm, room temperature or cold with lemon wedges and warm melted butter.