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Recipe Detail Page
Cameroon Spiced Shrimp with Peanut Sauce
Summer 2014
Cameroon’s very name is derived from the Portuguese word for shrimp, camarões. West African cuisine frequently includes hot peppers and peanuts. Do consult a hot pepper comparison chart if substituting hot peppers, as the jalapeños in this recipe are among the mildest. The shrimp number indicates how many are found in a pound—the larger the number, the smaller the shrimp.
Serves 6 to 8
SHRIMP
3½ to 4 lbs (1.75 to 2 kg) raw, shell-on shrimp, preferably a larger size such as 10/12 or 16/20
2 lemons
4 to 6 fresh hot peppers such as green or red‑ripejalapeños, each about 3 inches (8 cm) long
3 to 4 large garlic cloves, minced
½ tsp (2 mL) salt
2 to 4 tbsp (30 to 60 mL) peanut or other vegetable oil
10 to 12 bamboo skewers, each about 12 inches
(30 cm) long and soaked in warm water
PEANUT SAUCE
1 cup (250 mL) chunky or smooth natural, unsalted peanut butter
¾ to 1 cup (175 to 250 mL) water
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 tsp (5 mL) granulated sugar
½ tsp (2 mL) salt
1 Defrost (if not using fresh) and peel shrimp, leaving tail on. Devein if needed. Place in a large bowl; chill while proceeding. Zest lemons; place zest in a small bowl. Squeeze lemon juice; set aside for peanut sauce. Seed and finely dice peppers (see TIP) to use in both shrimp and peanut sauce.
2 Add 2 tbsp (30 mL) diced pepper, garlic and salt to lemon zest; stir to combine. Then drizzle cold shrimp with 2 tbsp (30 mL) oil. Toss shrimp to coat, using more oil if needed (smaller shrimp need more oil). Then add lemon zest mixture; toss shrimp until evenly coated.
3 Thread several shrimp onto skewers by first threading through tail and then thick part of each shrimp forming a “C” shape. Cover and let marinate for 30 minutes to several hours, always in the refrigerator.
4 To make peanut sauce, stir peanut butter with lesser amount of water. Then stir in garlic plus 2 tbsp (30 mL) of remaining hot peppers, 1/4 cup (60 mL) of reserved lemon juice, sugar and salt. Let sit at room temperature for a half hour or up to 2 hours. Then taste; stir in additional lemon juice and hot peppers as needed. Taste again; add more salt or sugar if required. Thin with a tbsp (15 mL) or more of additional water if too thick. If making ahead, cover and refrigerate.
5 Heat barbecue on high until very hot. Grill shrimp until just cooked through, about 2 minutes a side. Place on a warmed serving plate. Serve right away with peanut sauce—and pass a bottle of hot sauce for chili heads.
TIP Seeding and dicing hot peppers leaves hot capsaicin residue on hands. To remove easily, pour a little cooking oil on hands; rub hands as if the oil were soap. Then wash hands thoroughly with normal hand soap or a few drops of dish-washing liquid detergent.
Serves 6 to 8
