Shrimp and turkey on the barbie

By Sandra Pinckney

June 1, 2008

Shrimp on skewers over a Mediterranean orzo salad gives a twist to a cookout menu. (Sun photo by Amy Davis // Styled by Julie Rothman / April 24, 2008)

Every Fourth of July, my folks had a bash at their home in Massachusetts. It was one of the few times of the year that family and friends from all over would come together.

I remember Grandma would have on a dress and hose, my hippie Uncle Skip wore a crazy hat he would dig up for the occasion, and Aunt Alice, who could make you laugh with just a glance, sat out on the lawn in one of those brightly colored, aluminum-framed lawn chairs.

Dad would organize croquet matches, my brothers would set off drugstore fireworks, and Mom took charge of everything else. The center of it all, of course, was the grill, and for years we had the traditional fare. Then one Fourth of July, my mother decided to grill two turkeys.

She didn't know how this would go over with the family, so she had burgers and hot dogs as a backup.

She seasoned the turkeys simply - just salt and pepper, onion and garlic salt - and cooked them slowly on two Weber grills.

The results were amazing. The meat was crispy on the outside, moist on the inside, and the birds tasted nothing at all like Thanksgiving turkeys.

The hamburgers and hot dogs were barely touched, but the turkeys were picked clean.

I've since discovered that few foods are not made more delicious when cooked on the grill.

Several summers ago, I hosted the Charlotte Shout Culinary Extravaganza, featuring chefs from all over the country and an audience of eager foodies who gathered for several days of cooking and feasting in North Carolina.

Most of the dishes the chefs presented were outstanding, but the grilled shrimp on sugar-cane skewers was the showstopper.

The shrimp were first marinated in a lime-juice mixture, then basted with a Mount Gay (dark rum) glaze. But chef Steve Raichlen, a grilling authority and host of Barbecue University on PBS, didn't stop there. He created skewers from sugar cane, first by peeling a 12-inch piece of cane, then cutting it in half crosswise and then slicing each half lengthwise and sharpening one end into a point. The skewers added sweetness and they were edible.

A perfect complement to the shrimp or the grilled turkey is a hearty summer salad created by chef Steve Ishmael, with orzo, spinach and feta cheese. If you have not tasted orzo, give this recipe a try. A rice-shaped pasta, orzo is delicious served hot or at room temperature as a salad.

By the way, if you want to try grilling a turkey this summer, I've included one of my favorite marinades.

Bon appetit.

GRILLED TURKEY

SERVES 16

Remove turkey from marinade. Scrape off excess marinade and discard. (Do not use marinade for basting.) Turn wings back to hold neck skin in place. Return legs to tucked position. Sprinkle salt and pepper on turkey and in the cavity.

If cooking on a charcoal grill, use indirect heat to grill the turkey.

Prepare the grill by removing top grill rack and opening all vents.

Mound 50 to 60 briquettes in center of the lower grill rack or the bottom of grill and ignite them. When coals become ash gray, after about 20 to 40 minutes, divide them into two equal parts, positioned on the outside edges of lower grill rack or bottom of grill.

Place a foil drip pan or a double thickness of heavy -duty aluminum foil between the two piles of coals.

Lightly grease the top grill rack before repositioning it on the hot coals. Place the prepared turkey in the middle of the grill rack, directly over drip pan or foil and replace the lid on the grill.

You can figure roughly 12 minutes cooking time per pound of turkey. Be sure to check turkey's doneness by using a meat thermometer. (Poultry cooked on a grill browns very fast.) Breast meat is ready at 170 degrees, thigh meat at 180 degrees.

Maintain grill heat during cooking by adding 5 to 8 briquettes to both sides of hot coals every hour or as needed. Plan on cooking for 3 to 4 hours.

If using a gas grill, start with a clean grill rack, bottom tray and catch pan. Preheat burners by turning heat to high and closing the grill lid. Grill temperature should be about 500 degrees.

Use indirect method of grilling by turning off the burners directly beneath the food and turning on the burners on either side of the food to the same heat setting (medium to low).

Use a disposable drip pan to catch the drippings.

Plan on cooking for 3 to 4 hours. The internal temperature of the thigh should reach 180 degrees.

Note: Whether you use a gas or charcoal grill, keep the lid on the grill closed as much as possible to prevent heat loss.

Per serving: 559 calories, 25 grams fat, 7 grams saturated fat, 212 milligrams cholesterol, 5 grams carbohydrate, 73 grams protein, 536 milligrams sodium

MARINADE FOR GRILLED TURKEY

6 heads of crushed garlic

1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon dried oregano

2 tablespoons kosher salt

1 cup fresh lemon juice

1 cup dry white wine

1/2 of a 12-ounce can frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed

1 16-pound turkey

Mix garlic cloves with the dry ingredients. Whisk in the lemon juice, wine and orange juice until well mixed. Place turkey (rinsed and patted dry) in a roasting bag. Pour in marinade. Close and marinate overnight in the refrigerator.

SHRIMP ON SKEWERS

SERVES 4

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1 tablespoon freshly ground pepper

4 to 5 cloves crushed garlic

1/4 cup fresh cilantro

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 1/2 pounds jumbo shrimp (24 to 30), cleaned and shelled

GLAZE:

1/2 cup dark-brown sugar

1 stick unsalted butter

1/2 cup dark rum (Mount Gay)

3 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon white vinegar

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

salt to taste

FOR SKEWERS:

12 skewers or three 12-inch pieces of sugar cane to make your own (see note)

In a mixing bowl, combine salt, pepper, crushed garlic, cilantro, lime juice and olive oil. Add shrimp. Cover. Marinate in refrigerator while you prepare glaze and light the fire.

Combine the sugar, butter, rum, mustard, vinegar, cinnamon and cloves in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer the mixture until thick and syrupy, 3 to 5 minutes. Correct the seasoning, adding pepper and salt to taste.

Skewer shrimp. The recipe can be prepared several hours ahead to this stage.

Grill the shrimp kebabs until cooked, 2 to 3 minutes per side, generously basting each with glaze. Serve any remaining glaze as a sauce on the side.

Note: To make sugar-cane skewers, cut each piece of sugar cane in half crosswise and then slice each half lengthwise and sharpen one end into a point.

Per serving: 529 calories, 29 grams fat, 15 grams saturated fat, 319 milligrams cholesterol, 31 grams carbohydrate, 35 grams protein, 427 milligrams sodium

Mediterranean Orzo Salad

Serves 4

1 cup uncooked orzo

2 cups raw baby spinach

1/4 cup chopped dried tomato

3 tablespoons chopped red onion

3 tablespoons chopped, pitted kalamata olives

salt and pepper

1 small jar marinated artichoke hearts

3/4 cup (6 ounces) feta cheese, crumbled

Cook the orzo according to package directions with no salt. Drain and cool. Combine the orzo in a medium bowl with the next 4 ingredients. Add salt and pepper to taste. Drain the jar of artichokes, reserving the liquid. Coarsely chop the artichokes and add to the orzo. Add 1/2 of the feta cheese into the artichoke liquid to create a dressing and fold into the orzo salad along with the remainder of the feta.

Per serving: 297 calories, 7 grams fat, 4 grams saturated fat, 25 milligrams cholesterol, 48 grams carbohydrate, 10 grams protein, 578 milligrams sodium

The nutritional analyses accompanying these recipes were calculated by registered dietitian Jodie Shields.