Pineapple-Glazed Shrimp Skewers

alligirl's Note:

From chow.com; posted for ZWT 5. "With a flavor that’s somewhere between Asian and Caribbean, these skewers are hard to label but easy to make and tasty enough that they’ll be a hit with the whole family. **NOTE: If you’re using wooden skewers, soak them in warm water for 30 minutes beforehand, so they don’t burn on the grill. **Note: There’s just a touch of heat in the glaze from cayenne pepper. If you’re up for it, you can get the party started by adding a little extra." -- This could also be made with chicken, or for something special, use sugarcane skewers.

• Total Time: 1 hrs 10 mins
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 50 mins

Ingredients:

Serves: 4-6

Yield: 12.0 skewers

• 5 cups pineapple , large dice (from 1 large pineapple, about 5 pounds)
• ½ cup light brown sugar , firmly packed
• ½ cup white wine vinegar
• ¼ cup soy sauce
• 2 medium garlic cloves
• 1⁄8; teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 36 extra-large shrimp , peeled and deveined, tails intact (about 2 pounds)
• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• 12 (10 inch) wooden skewers (or metal)

Directions:

1. Combine 2 cups of the pineapple, the sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, and garlic in a blender and blend on high until smooth, about 30 seconds.
2. Pour into a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat.
3. Skim off any foam and reduce heat to low.
4. Simmer until glaze is thick and syrupy enough to coat the back of a spoon and has reduced to about 3/4 cup, about 30 minutes.
5. Stir in cayenne and set aside to cool slightly, at least 5 minutes. Meanwhile, heat a gas or charcoal grill to high (about 400°F) or a grill pan over high heat until very hot.
6. Skewer 1 shrimp, making sure to pass the skewer through the thick portion and the tail portion, then skewer 1 piece of the remaining pineapple. Repeat, alternating between the two and leaving a space in between, until you have 3 shrimp and 2 pineapple pieces per skewer. Brush skewers on one side with glaze.
7. Rub the grill with a towel dipped in vegetable oil, place the skewers on the grill glaze side down, and brush the other side of the skewers with more glaze.
8. Continue brushing and turning every few minutes until the thick portions of the shrimp are white and firm, about 10 to 15 minutes.
9. Remove from the grill and serve immediately.

Reviews

[Housewife in Training]

Easy, healthy recipe with lots of flavor! The skewers turned out great, even after not preparing the glaze for the full time. Delicious! Thanks for sharing!

[Hotcooking_21]

These were really good. Didn't have a whole pineapple so I used the juice. Will add more spice next time, I like lots of spice. Thanks for the recipe.

[2Bleu]

Great sauce recipe! the sauce really made this a spectacular grill item. A definite keeper, thanks for sharing. :)