Shrimp on Sticks

Shrimp cooking on stick in a fire
Sarah Glover smiling out of the window of a TMC Tranquility camper van.
Sarah Glover smiling out of the window of a TMC Tranquility camper van.

Sarah Glover

Professional Outdoor Chef

For 16 years, Sarah Glover has made a career as a chef in Tasmania, Sydney and New York. These days she is rarely found in a kitchen—the outdoors is where she applies her trade now. Her work has been published through her cookbook, "Wild Adventure," and featured in Cherry Bomb, New York Times, and Delicious Magazine.

The idea with this recipe is that the radiant heat from the fire slowly cooks the shrimp and keeps them tender. The turmeric in the dressing also gives everything a vibrant yellow color, which looks beautiful in contrast with the pink shrimp.

Shrimp in a bowl next to a bowl of marinade

Instead of bringing skewers or poles from home, I prefer to find nearby sticks or thin branches and use those to cook the shrimp (just make sure they’re long enough to keep a safe distance from the flame). Much like toasting marshmallows, kids will love holding the shrimp sticks over the fire. This is such a fun way to prepare a meal, especially if you don’t have a frying pan. Cooking in this primal, minimal way gives you a real sense of achievement, and you can easily add more shrimp (or any other shellfish) if you’re feeding a large crowd.

Shrimp on Sticks

Shrimp on Sticks

Yield: Feed 4

Prep: 2-3 Hours Cooking: 5 Minutes

Shrimp

2 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

chilli flakes, to taste

salt, to taste

12 large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined

Turmeric Dressing

1⁄2 inch piece of fresh turmeric, unpeeled

3 garlic cloves, peeled

1⁄2 cup Champagne vinegar

1 cup grapeseed or extra-virgin olive oil

Cooking Tools

  • Fire pit
  • 4 long sturdy sticks (plus a few extra in case you burn them)

Method

  1. To make the turmeric dressing, finely grate the turmeric and garlic (use a microplane if you have one) into a small bowl. Add the vinegar and whisk until combined. Stir in the oil and set aside for a few hours before serving.
  2. Combine the turmeric dressing, olive oil, chilli flakes and salt in a large bowl, add the shrimp and massage to coat them in the mixture. Marinate for at least 1 hour.
  3. Meanwhile, light your fire and let it burn down for about an hour until you obtain a medium heat.
  4. Thread the shrimp onto the sticks and cook over the fire, holding the sticks about 15 cm (6 in) above the heat and turning frequently, for about 5 minutes, until pink and cooked through. Allow to cool slightly, then eat!

 

Girls smiling as they cook shrimp over a fire
Girls eating shrimp cooked on sticks

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