Grilled Shrimp
Night on the Nile
I was living in Egypt the first time I had grilled shrimp -- or prawns, actually. I was 17 and had invited an older woman (she was 18) out to dinner. I don't recall the occasion, but there almost certainly was one because dating was rare -- we American's tended to do things in groups. But somehow I'd gotten the nerve up to ask Colleen out and to my amazement she accepted. (I was timid and dumb. Sigh.)
At any rate, we took a cab from Ma'adi, a small town outside of Cairo, where all the foreigners (except the Russians) lived, to a restaurant in Cairo on the bank of the Nile. Colleen wore a sleeveless dress. Yellow, I think. And an Egyptian shawl made of an iridescent blue material. I remember Colleen had beautiful arms. I wore a coat and tie. We sat on a patio, lit by torchlight, overlooking a dock where feluccas were tied up. I ordered a bottle of wine for the first time in my life and we both ordered the grilled shrimp. Huge prawns seasoned with I-don't-know-what and grilled to perfection. The Egyptian wine? Not so good.
I've loved grilled shrimp ever
There was no recipe -- even to the usual extent of just paying attention to what I was doing. It was nearly stream of consciousness cooking. But what I remember is I peeled the shrimp and, in a bowl, seasoned them with sweet paprika, salt, dried thyme (a good bit), a shot of Worcestershire sauce, and a few squirts of Tabasco. Then I let it marinate while I got the fire going -- perhaps 15 minutes. They were perfectly sweet and perfectly spicy.
I also made a vinaigrette using some old pear vinegar I had in the pantry and poured that over steamed asparagus and dipped a couple of large mushrooms in butter and grilled them. A nice little meal. Colleen would have loved it.
I was living in Egypt the first time I had grilled shrimp -- or prawns, actually. I was 17 and had invited an older woman (she was 18) out to dinner. I don't recall the occasion, but there almost certainly was one because dating was rare -- we American's tended to do things in groups. But somehow I'd gotten the nerve up to ask Colleen out and to my amazement she accepted. (I was timid and dumb. Sigh.)
At any rate, we took a cab from Ma'adi, a small town outside of Cairo, where all the foreigners (except the Russians) lived, to a restaurant in Cairo on the bank of the Nile. Colleen wore a sleeveless dress. Yellow, I think. And an Egyptian shawl made of an iridescent blue material. I remember Colleen had beautiful arms. I wore a coat and tie. We sat on a patio, lit by torchlight, overlooking a dock where feluccas were tied up. I ordered a bottle of wine for the first time in my life and we both ordered the grilled shrimp. Huge prawns seasoned with I-don't-know-what and grilled to perfection. The Egyptian wine? Not so good.
I've loved grilled shrimp ever
There was no recipe -- even to the usual extent of just paying attention to what I was doing. It was nearly stream of consciousness cooking. But what I remember is I peeled the shrimp and, in a bowl, seasoned them with sweet paprika, salt, dried thyme (a good bit), a shot of Worcestershire sauce, and a few squirts of Tabasco. Then I let it marinate while I got the fire going -- perhaps 15 minutes. They were perfectly sweet and perfectly spicy.
I also made a vinaigrette using some old pear vinegar I had in the pantry and poured that over steamed asparagus and dipped a couple of large mushrooms in butter and grilled them. A nice little meal. Colleen would have loved it.
5 Comments:
Kevin, I just love this story. I learn something new about you every day--Egypt, huh? When we finally get together you can tell me more of these stories, and I will regale you with tales of doing existentialist theatre in Slovakia.
Oh, and I love shrimp best grilled, with fried shrimp at the beach in a close second. I keep thinking I'm going to grill tonight, but it's 7:15 and I don't know if I have it in me...
Marianne,
I can't imagine a better place for doing existential theatre than Slovakia. What's the food like?
The regional food? Kind of awful, really, at least on my actor's budget. But even when taken to "authentic" restaurants by some locals, I was sadly unimpressed. Let's just say there is a LOT of canned vegetables, mysterious pork, and potatoes. I would love to be proven otherwise, though.
I did, in the 6 months I was there, find a few very good places to eat, but none of it was traditional Slovak food. Maybe my 22-year-old self was terribly pedestrian, but I don't think so.
Boy, if we only knew then what we know now...
wonderful post- I've got a fierce hankering for grilled shrimp now. No really, right now.
Marianne,
If one is going to be existential, I suppose one needs suitable motivation.
Joc,
At least I'm no longer timid. As for dumb...
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