Guest Post: Espetinho de Camarao (Shrimp Skewers)

Today's special guest post comes from someone you have seen here before -- Amanda of Give Me Flour.  If you have been following me for awhile you have actually seen a lot of her work, because she is absolulely, positively one of my favorite food photographers.  Not only that, but she is someone I would consider a friend in this blog world.  I was so happy when Amanda agreed to do a post because the place I am at holds a special place in her heart as well as mine, although for different reasons.  I fell in love here and a year later got engaged in the same spot; she spent her summers as a child on this beach.  Both ways have left Ubatuba as a very memorable place in our lives, and she is here to share a bit of her memories of this this little spot on the globe with you. 

So, Ubatuba... Tiffany is in Ubatuba.  I guess I am not supposed to admit this but since she is away, here it goes: I am jealous, really jealous!

I can almost smell the salty breeze and picture small details of the landscape. I can see the curvy road in front of me and remember the sensation of touching the water after spending a couple months dreaming about our vacation. It proves that memories do stick in your mind from when you are a child, don’t they?

I don’t remember what I ate for breakfast yesterday but I do remember what I used to eat during the two sacred and endless weeks my family spent in Ubatuba each summer for almost ten years in a roll.

We used to go in early December, by the time the city was still empty. The beaches felt like ours; the view, water and mountains together promoted the freedom we were looking for, creating the perfect refuge for my family.

For two entire weeks everyone was happy; my parents for not having to worry about daily obligations and us kids for not having to worry about our parents' rules. There was no right time to eat, for instance. And I was pretty much free, or at least I thought I was, to choose my own food: corn in a cob, heart of palm empanadas, tropical fruit popsicles, coconut water and tons and tons of shrimp skewers.  

I hope Tiffany enjoys them as well!!

Meanwhile, we can try the skewers ourselves because this recipe can’t get any more simple: marinate, thread, and grill. I can’t promise you the beach experience, but I swear it is still crazy good if paired with a hot, sunny day and a bottle of beer.

No, the recipe is not wrong; the shrimp skewers found in Ubatuba beaches are pretty simple and don’t require more ingredients than that. They can be deep fried or grilled and always come in a shell, which gives an extra crunch to the dish.

 Just place all the ingredients in a large bowl, cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to two hours.

Thread four shrimps onto each skewer bending each shrimp almost in half, so that the large end nearly touches the small. Insert the skewer just above the tail, so that it passes through the body twice. Set aside.

This time I chose to grill instead of fry, so pre-heat a grill or skillet to medium hot. Brush the skewers with a little olive oil and cook for 5-6 minutes, turning one, or until shrimps are translucent and pink in color. Serve immediately.

As an option, you can top them with chopped fresh tomatoes, scallions and a bit of lemon zest to kick off the citrus flavor.  Enjoy!