A great way to cook shrimp is to grill them whole, with heads and shells intact. The unpeeled shrimp cook in their own juices, staying moist, and the shells pick up a little char, releasing a sweet, toasty aroma. Since I also like grilled squid, I often serve a mixed grill of squid and shrimp. Squid with tubes only about five inches long are especially tender. The best shrimp to grill are big white ones that have edible thin shells. To find them, head to an Asian market, where you will also find the squid. Before cooking the shrimp, follow Vietnamese tradition and neatly trim them. Then, cut the squid to create fringe that will curl back during grilling, to resemble trumpet flowers. I recommend cleaning the squid yourself because the flavor is superior to that of precleaned squid. To create a full menu, add one of the canh soups (pages 58 to 66) and some grilled summer squash (see the Note that accompanies Grilled Chicken on page 81).
Recipe information
Yield
serves 4 to 6 with 2 or 3 other dishes
Ingredients
Marinade
Preparation
Step 1
Using scissors, snip off the antennae, pointy tip, jagged rostrum, legs, and feet of each shrimp (see page 115). Set aside.
Step 2
To prepare the squid tubes, lay a tube flat on a cutting board. Holding it down on the pointed end, use a sharp knife to make 3 cuts about 3/4 inch long at the open end, creating fringe. Make sure to cut through both layers. With your hand, roll the tube to check for wide sections where another fringe or two may need to be cut. Repeat with the remaining the squid tubes and set aside.
Step 3
To make the marinade, in a bowl, whisk together the sugar, fish sauce, lime juice, and oil. Add the shrimp and squid and toss to coat well. Marinate for 15 minutes, or until the grill is ready.
Step 4
Prepare a medium-hot charcoal fire (you can hold your hand over the rack for only 3 to 4 seconds) or preheat a gas grill to medium-high. Grill the shrimp for about 3 minutes on each side and the squid for about 2 minutes on each side. The shrimp are cooked when they are a brilliant color, a bit charred, and toasty smelling. The squid are ready when they are opaque and the fringe has curled.
Step 5
Transfer the shrimp and squid to a plate and serve with the dipping sauce. If you are new to eating shrimp with their heads on, here is how it is done: First twist off the head and suck the opened end, where the heady reddish orange brains are. Whether or not you eat the rest of the head is up to you. Eat the remainder as usual.
