Shrimp on the Barbie is an Australian inspired dish we made when planning our vacation down under. For gluten free cooks it's easy to skip recipes with bread but we don't want to. Adventurous cooks are willing to try anything and that's why I added bread cubes wrapped in pancetta and grilled lemon to elevate a simple summer barbecue recipe.
For a complete Aussie meal I would serve a nice garden salad with homemade dressing and a seasonal vegetable. To end the meal it needs to be with gluten free lamingtons (my sister's favourite) or a summer version of pavlova.
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Ingredients
This is the kind of recipe gluten free cooks need. We're leaning into whole foods and moving away from ultra-processed foods.
- Large shrimp - 16-20 count (the number of shrimp per pound) is a good size for this dish.
- Pancetta - This is what makes the bread cubes so flavourful. Sliced, pre-packaged pancetta is readily available in well-stocked grocery stores and Italian specialty shops. Packages with a gluten free label are pretty easy to find and I always appreciate that.
- Gluten free bread cubes - You want bread that will hold up to the barbecue. I used Udi’s Whole Grain seeded dinner rolls the day we took this photo.
- Lemon - Grilling lemon adds a nice char flavour to this dish. Be sure to let them cool slightly as the juice will be very hot right off the barbie.
- Fresh rosemary - This is used to make a tasty rosemary oil for brushing the shrimp.
See recipe card for complete ingredient list and exact amounts.
Ingredients: Pancetta vs Prosciutto vs Bacon
Pancetta, like bacon, is made from the pork belly and salt-cured. Like bacon it is raw and must be cooked. Pancetta is sold in thin slices as I use in this recipe, or cut in cubes. Cooked like bacon it can be added to sauces, pasta dishes and more.
Prosciutto is made from a different cut of pork. but it is also salt-cured and not smoked. Although my recipe calls for pancetta if you can't find it prosciutto would be a good substitute. The taste will be a bit different but equally delicious. Bacon would give the dish a very different taste.
Bacon starts out like pancetta then it is smoked.
Instructions: How To Buy Shrimp
I like to have a bag of shrimp in the freezer at all time. There are so many ways to cook shrimp and it adds variety to your menu. I like fairly big shrimp for this recipe so I buy 16/20 count. 21/25 or even 26/30 are smaller but work well in a pasta dish or rice dish.
Variations
Rosemary Skewers - For a fancy presentation, and a little more flavour, replace metal skewers with long stalks of fresh rosemary.
No bread - Skip the bread and wrap the pancetta around the shrimp instead.
Bacon - I would not use bacon in place of pancetta but in your kitchen you can do whatever you want.
Top Tip
Grill fresh lemons but be careful. They add a charred taste to the dish and the warm lemons yield more juice than you would have thought possible. Warn your guests to be careful when squeezing the juice over the skewers. It's hot!
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Gluten Free Shrimp on the Barbie
Ingredients
- 36 large shrimp (16-20 count)
- 36 thin slices of pancetta*
- 36 gluten free bread cubes (I used 3 Udi’s Whole Grain seeded dinner rolls)
- 3 lemons, halved
ROSEMARY OIL
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 large cloves of garlic, smashed
- salt and pepper to taste
- 3 sprigs of fresh rosemary
Instructions
- In a small bowl combine the oil, garlic, salt, pepper and rosemary. Set aside.
PREPARE SKEWERS
- Fold a piece of pancetta in half and wrap around a shrimp. Slide 1 shrimp onto each skewer to hold pancetta in place. (see notes)
- Next thread a bread cube onto the skewer, with or without pancetta. (see notes)
- Repeat until you have 3 shrimp and 3 bread cubes on each skewer. This will make 2 skewers per person.
- Place assembled skewers on a tray with cut lemons.
- Preheat the barbecue.
- Generously brush the rosemary oil over both sides of the skewers and the cut side of each lemon half. Grill skewers until shrimp are pink and cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. Grill lemons until charred. (see notes)
- Arrange skewers on a platter and top with lemon halves. Serve 2 skewers with one lemon half per person.
Notes
Nutrition
More Related Recipes
To move away from ultra-processed foods (for the whole family) work on your own collection of simple recipes you like to make. Be sure to include some for every season and you've got built in variety. Keep doing this and you'll have lots of ideas for dinner.
Steshni Corea
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