Broiled Shrimp with Garlic, Lemon and Herbs

Ingredients

1 cup lightly packed fresh flat-leaf parsley OR cilantro OR basil OR a combination

4 scallions, roughly chopped

2 medium garlic cloves, smashed and peeled

1½ teaspoons grated lemon zest, plus 1 tablespoon lemon juice

¼ to ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

Kosher salt and ground black pepper

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

1½ pounds extra-large (21/25 per pound) shrimp, peeled, deveined and patted dry (see headnote)

½ teaspoon white sugar

Directions

Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil, set a wire rack in the baking sheet and mist it with cooking spray. In a food processor, combine the parsley, scallions, garlic, lemon zest, pepper flakes (if using), ¼ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Pulse until finely chopped, about 8 pulses. Scrape the sides of the bowl, then add the oil and process until bright green and almost smooth, about 30 seconds. Transfer ¼ cup of the puree to a small bowl; set aside for serving.

In a medium bowl, toss together the shrimp, the remaining herb puree, sugar and ¼ teaspoon each salt and black pepper. Thread the shrimp onto 4 to 6 metal skewers, dividing them evenly; skewer each shrimp in a C shape, piercing through 2 points. Place on the prepared rack, slathering the top of the shrimp with any remaining puree from the bowl. Let stand at room temperature while you heat the broiler.

Heat the broiler with a rack about 4 inches from the element. Broil until the shrimp are pink with light brown spots, about 3 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven, flip the skewers and continue to broil until the shrimp are just opaque and lightly charred, 2 to 4 minutes.

Transfer the skewers to a serving platter. Stir the lemon juice into the reserved herb puree and drizzle over the shrimp.

Notes

In this recipe, an easy puree of fresh herbs, garlic and olive oil is used two ways: Some of it coats the uncooked shrimp as a quick marinade, then a splash of lemon juice is stirred into the rest to create a bright sauce for serving. Be sure to pat the shrimp thoroughly dry so they’ll brown and char nicely under the broiler. A touch of sugar in the marinade also promotes browning. We call for extra-large shrimp here; use slightly larger or smaller ones if you like, but adjust the cooking time accordingly.