Grilled Shrimp and Sausage Skewers with Smoky Paprika Glaze

I've never understood why people say that Memorial Day weekend is the start of summer and the start of grilling season. Summer doesn't start (officially) until late June and in southern California, it's almost always grilling season. However, I like many others took the opportunity to have a beach cookout with friends this past weekend and of course we got our grill on. When I received the June edition of Bon Appetit in the mail last week, I was immediately tantalized by the cover photo and eagerly tore through the pages to find the recipe. These were so good that I made them not once, but twice over the weekend. The spicy chicken andouille I picked up was a perfect compliment to the smoky glaze and that glaze added amazing flavor to the shrimp, tomatoes, and onion and the tomatoes were bursting with juicy warmth. Doing these on the outdoor grill gave them even more smoky flavor, but doing them inside in a grill pan still yields excellent results. There were many recipes in this month's magazine that I want to try, but I have a feeling this is going to made again very, very soon.



Grilled Shrimp and Sausage Skewers with Smoky Paprika Glaze
(Slightly Adapted from Bon Appetit, June 2010)



Makes 6 servings

3/4 cup olive oil
4-5 large garlic cloves, grated
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
5 teaspoons smoked paprika
4 teaspoons red wine vinegar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
12 uncooked extra-large shrimp
12 1-inch-long pieces chicken andouille sausage
12 cherry tomatoes
12 2-layer sections of red onion wedges

In a medium bowl, whisk together the olive oil, garlic, thyme, paprika, vinegar, salt, and both peppers. Transfer half of the glaze to a small bowl and set aside.

Heat a grill or grill pan to medium-high heat. Alternately thread pieces of shrimp, sausage, tomato, and onion onto the skewers. Brush skewers on both sides with glaze from one bowl. Grill 6-8 minutes until the shrimp are opaque, turning every couple of minutes and brushing occasionally with more glaze.

Arrange skewers on a platter and serve with the remaining bowl of glaze.

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