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Hard To Refuse These Jumbo Shrimp

Photo by JADEN HAIR

Some mama-sized shrimp, lemongrass, ginger, a grill and a bit of work will produce a tasty dinner.

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By JADEN HAIR

Tribune correspondent

Published: February 5, 2009

It's been more than a month and this box of "Life Can Be Sweeter" tablets is still glaring at me.

I'm so chicken.

Right before Christmas, I purchased this packet of Miracle Fruit Tablets from www.ThinkGeek.com. Wait, let me back up a bit. I was buying my husband, Scott, a Christmas present from ThinkGeek (some stupid geeky gadgety toy that he ended up returning anyways) and while at the checkout page, these Miracle Fruit Tablets were dangling right in front of my nose. I tried to ignore the "Try Me!" icon, but I COULD. NOT. RESIST.

It was so weird, as if the Web site did a brain scan over the Internet and after a fancy millisecond algorithm, calculated that out of all the products in the inventory, this was the ONE THING that my curiously twitchy mouse-button finger could not ignore.

Can you imagine if your favorite brick-and-mortar store did that? Like you went to go visit Target and the moment you walked in, the scanners blipped on, pulled up your name, credit history, purchase history, return history, what you ate last night and your secret cravings. Then it created an entire psychological profile and POOF! Magically all the items in the store rearranged so that every single product that would appeal to you would be at eye level, front and center. And those items would all be conveniently on sale.

Freaky, huh?

It was no use evading the Miracle Fruit Tablets. It would have just led to pain and suffering in the long run (specifically remorse, guilt, shame and sorrow, in that particular order). I just had to click to add it to my cart. Click. Click. Click. Done.

Thirty-eight days later, they are still here on my desk, unopened, and I bet the box is pretty darn mad at me for allowing my anxiety to bully my curiosity. But honestly, stuff like this scares me. How can a fruit from West Africa, called the Miracle Berry, confuse the taste buds on your tongue so much that lemons taste like candy and fire-hot spices taste like maple syrup?

My online research, including stories from the New York Times and other super-important publications, says it's perfectly safe. But back in my college days, they had other names for being so tripped out, and, generally, it was illegal. So you can understand my trepidation.

In the meantime, this box will just have to glare at me a little longer. Just until one of you e-mails or calls me and says, "I triple dare you." Being triple-dared is an entirely different matter and all the emotional rules change.

LEMONGRASS-GINGER GRILLED SHRIMP

Another item that I can never pass up at the market is jumbo shell-on shrimp when it's on sale. These babies are massive, about 10 to a pound! I just could not resist (This is becoming a recurring theme in my life, isn't it?) and had to grab a pound of jumbo mama-sized shrimp.

If you like spicy, you can add finely minced fresh chili pepper or a dash of chili powder to this recipe. The finer you chop the lemongrass, ginger and garlic, the more flavorful the shrimp.

I suggest using a microplane grater to grate the lemongrass and ginger, and a garlic press for the garlic. If you don't have lemongrass, substitute with 1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest. For grilling, I say the bigger the shrimp the better! And I like grilling or broiling with the shrimp shell on; it protects the delicate meat, and I just enjoy eating foods that require a bit of work. But feel free to remove the shell before marinating, or buy shelled shrimp.

1 stalk lemongrass, outer leaves discarded, bottom 3 inches finely minced or grated

1-inch piece of ginger, finely minced or grated

2 or 3 garlic cloves, finely minced

1 stalk green onion, finely minced

2 tablespoons cooking oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 pound shell-on shrimp

12 bamboo skewers

Cooking oil, for brushing on grill grates

Lime wedges, for serving

In a bowl, combine the lemongrass, ginger, garlic, green onion, oil, salt and pepper together.

Devein the shrimp using a pair of small sharp shears. Starting from the head end of the shrimp, snip along the top (the shrimp's back) just deep enough to pull out the black vein. Pat the shrimp very dry. Marinate them in lemongrass-ginger mixture for 15 to 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, soak the bamboo skewers in water for 15 to 20 minutes before skewering the shrimp.

When ready to cook, preheat your barbecue grill or broiler. If grilling, brush the grill grates with cooking oil so the shrimp won't stick. Grill the shrimp 2 to 3 minutes on each side until they are cooked through. If broiling, brush cooking oil on your broiler pan. Broil shrimp 2 to 3 minutes each side. Serve with lime wedges.

Makes 4 servings

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