Spiced Shrimp

By Florence Fabricant

Published Nov. 11, 2020

Spiced Shrimp
David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Maggie Ruggiero.
Total Time
45 minutes
Rating
4(46)
Comments
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The basic recipe for these quickly broiled shrimp is elastic, easily halved or scaled up. And the spice choices can vary. Here I have opted for ras el hanout, a complex North African blend that delivers modest peppery heat along with pungent elements of cumin, fenugreek and coriander, as well as the warm astringency of allspice and cloves. Harissa, a North African hot sauce, seasons the dip. Serve it as an appetizer or pair it with a grain like rice or farro, or a buttery tumble of fluffy couscous for a more substantial meal.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 8 servings
  • 1pound large shrimp, about 20, preferably Gulf, shelled and deveined
  • ½teaspoon salt
  • 1cup plain Greek-style yogurt
  • 1tablespoon harissa paste, or to taste
  • 1tablespoon finely minced cilantro leaves
  • 2tablespoons ras el hanout (Moroccan spice blend)
  • 2tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • ½lemon, seeds removed
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

149 calories; 7 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 1 gram monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 4 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 2 grams sugars; 19 grams protein; 309 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Place shrimp in a bowl and add the salt. Mix well and set aside 30 minutes. Meanwhile, stir the yogurt and mix in the harissa and cilantro. Transfer to a serving dish and set aside.

  2. Step 2

    Heat broiler. Rinse and dry shrimp, place in a bowl and add the ras el hanout. Toss to mix thoroughly. Select a shallow baking dish that will hold the shrimp snugly in a single layer. Brush with a little of the butter. Arrange shrimp in the dish and brush with remaining butter. Broil close to the source of heat until shrimp are lightly browned and cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes. (Alternatively, the shrimp can be placed on soaked wooden skewers, about 3 shrimp per stick, and broiled or grilled over high heat, turning once.) Squeeze the lemon over the shrimp.

  3. Step 3

    Serve as a cocktail snack directly from the dish with picks to skewer shrimp and harissa dip alongside.

Ratings

4 out of 5
46 user ratings
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Comments

Em

Made it after reading the wine pairing article. I think 1 cup of Greek yogurt is a lot, I threw away half of it , and 2 tablespoons of Ras el Hanout it’s was overwhelming. Maybe 1 it’s just right. Still, it was very good but it needs some adjustments.

Charlotte K

It drives me nuts when people list all their substitutions, but I only made one, which was that I baked a salmon filet with the ras el hanout on it instead of shrimp, because I couldn't get my hands on any shrimp. I'll make it with shrimp next time, and there will BE a next time, because this was a really interesting blend of flavors. I was afraid the harissa would be too spicy for me, but the yogurt did its job and mellowed it out for me. A keeper!

Jackie

Did this with Baharat spice and it was good. For me the dipping sauce was missing the acid so I did squeeze some lemon in it - on its own it was spicy (I added a decent amount of harissa) but the flavour depth was missing for me. I did broil, but I think I will put on the cast iron grill next time to get a little char on the prawn and I think it will elevate the flavour.

Anne

I made this tonight and it was a big hit! I used one tablespoon of ras el hanout, instead of two, which was plenty, and I broiled the shrimp for 4 minutes. Delicious flavors!

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