PINEAPPLE-SHRIMP-SUGARCANE-SKEWERS

INGREDIENTS

  • 12 large fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
  • 1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon dark rum
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon cane sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon minced garlic
  • Salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • Minced habanero chile (substitute jalapeño for a milder taste)
  • 24 two-inch chunks fresh pineapple
  • 12 eight-inch sugarcane skewers

PREPARATION

Wash the shrimp and place them in a large bowl. Combine the lime juice, soy sauce, rum, oil, sugar, and garlic in a second bowl. Season with salt, pepper, and habanero. Cover with plastic wrap and allow the shrimp to marinate while preheating the broiler. When ready, thread 1 pineapple chunk, 1 shrimp, then a second pineapple chunk on each skewer. Place the skewers on a broiler pan or hot BBQ grill and cook until lightly browned, turning once, 3 to 5 minutes.

 

Tip: To make sugarcane swizzle sticks and skewers from the “baton” product wash the sugarcane stalk thoroughly. Using a sharp chef’s knife, carefully cut the stalk crosswise, at a joint, into sections the length of the skewer needed. Be careful, as the cane is harder than you think. Split at the center of the core lengthwise into quarters for 4 skewers. Don’t remove the outer bark; it reinforces the skewer. Sharpen the ends of the skewers into points. You can always order pre-cut skewers as well!