when i was out running this morning, shakespeare's sonnet 18 met me in the sprouting stems of the forsythia, dogwood, and redbud trees . . . those darling buds. stride after stride, the birds serenaded me, and the sun marched up the sky with the confidence to drive back the murky, drafty days of winter. when i got back to the house i muscled down my big fat shakespeare book from the shelf in the living room (i have to use both arms to lift it) i found sonnet 18 and submerged myself in the familiar lines . . . spring time, summer time, beauty, love, and warmer days. every winter is the winter of my discontent and i am so happy to see this one go.
________
now come longer days, sunny skies, and those evenings to send jim out to cook something for me on the grill. i miss smoky-hissing-hot-off-the-grill-food during winter, so out of necessity i have come up with a few dishes to make in the oven that could actually fool you into believing that i used the grill instead. indoor grilled shrimp is one of them. try making these seared skewers when the weather has your grill under a deluge, or when the tank is empty of propane. they're piquant, spicy and smoky from the sizzle of the cast iron, and now you can have a grilled dish no matter the weather.
________
Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate;
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer's lease hath all too short a date;
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimm'd;
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance or nature's changing course untrimm'd;
But thy eternal summer shall not fade,
Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow'st;
Nor shall Death brag thou wander'st in his shade,
When in eternal lines to time thou grow'st:
So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.
–William Shakespeare
________
now come longer days, sunny skies, and those evenings to send jim out to cook something for me on the grill. i miss smoky-hissing-hot-off-the-grill-food during winter, so out of necessity i have come up with a few dishes to make in the oven that could actually fool you into believing that i used the grill instead. indoor grilled shrimp is one of them. try making these seared skewers when the weather has your grill under a deluge, or when the tank is empty of propane. they're piquant, spicy and smoky from the sizzle of the cast iron, and now you can have a grilled dish no matter the weather.
• 1 lb. of peeled, de-veined shrimp
for the marinade
• juice of one lemon
• 3 bulbs of minced garlic
• 1/3 cup of safflower oil or other high heat oil
• 1/2 cup of white wine
• 1/4 cup of water
• chili flakes
• kosher salt and cracked pepper
• minced cilantro for garnish
instructions
1. rinse the shrimp with cold water in a colander.
2. whisk together all of the ingredients in a large glass bowl.
3. add the shrimp to the bowl and marinate it for 15-20 minutes.
4. meanwhile, put a dry cast iron griddle onto a rack in the oven that is raised to about 6 inches from the top, and set the oven to broil.
5. rub the skewers with safflower oil and spear 5-6 shrimp per skewer. give each skewer a healthy dusting of cracked pepper.
7. pour the leftover marinade into a saucepan, and heat until boiling. lower the heat to a simmer and let it reduce by 1/2.
8. carefully set the skewers onto the preheated griddle and close the oven door.
9. after about 2 min. turn the skewers with a pair of tongs or an oven mitt.
10. let them broil another couple of minutes until they turn opaque.
11. set 2-3 skewers onto each plate, spoon them with the reduction and garnish with cilantro.
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