top of page

Butterflied Shrimp
with Salsa Verde

Where ever you may find them, there is something rather wonderful about the sight and smell of juicy, freshly caught shrimp being grilled at a restaurant or at a street stall. It’s a sight I have been lucky enough to experience in places as far apart as India, Mozambique, Scotland and Greece.


In each place they might come with a different accompaniment or dressing. But for me, the very best I have eaten was in Palermo, Sicily, where the large shrimp were butterflied, grilled with just a sprinkle of olive oil and then coated with a dressing of mixed herbs and more oil. With a sprinkle of lemon juice just before serving, they were perfection.

Butterflied Shrimp by Simon Majumdar .jp

Butterflied Shrimp with Salsa Verde Recipe

​

(Serves About 4)

​

Ingredients​

​

  • 24 Shrimp (15-21 Co

  • 8 Raw Large Freshwater Shrimp (or 8 Large Raw Black Tiger Prawns)

  • 1 Teaspoon Salt

  • ¼ Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil​

  • 1 Teaspoon White Pepper

  • 1 Lemon (Juice and Zest)

  • 1 Teaspoon Paprika

  • 1 Shallot (Minced)

  • 2 Cloves Garlic (Minced)

  • 1 Cup Fresh Italian Parsley (Finely Chopped

  • ½ Cup Fresh Basil (Chopped)

  • 1 Tablespoon Capers

​

Instructions

​

  1. Butterfly the shrimp, by using a pair of scissors to cut down the top part of the tail shell and then use a knife to cut through the head.

  2. Clean out the inside of the shrimp to remove the thin black intestinal tract.

  3. Sprinkle with a little salt and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.

  4. Blend all the rest of the ingredients to form the salsa verde. Some people prefer to do this in a blender. I like to use a mortar and pestle to give a chunkier version.

  5. Either on an outdoor or a stove top grill, grill the shrimp for about 2 minutes a side. Try and get a small amount of char on the shells, which adds to the flavor.

  6. Place the shrimp on a serving plate and drizzle with the dressing of salsa verde.

  7. Sprinkle with lemon juice just before serving.

bottom of page