Grilled Ras el Hanout Shrimp with Asparagus #BBQWeek #Sponsored

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Michigan Asparagus

in conjunction with #BBQweek. All opinions are my own.

Well, that's a wrap on #BBQWeek. But, first, I need to offer many, many thanks to Ellen of Family Around the Table for organizing this week. These events are fun, but they are also a ton of work for the folks on the back end. Kudos, Ellen. I had a great time and, now, have a lot of recipes for grilling season.

As we draw to a close, I wanted to give one last shoutout to one of our sponsors - Michigan Asparagus - who is giving one winner two grilling baskets and $50 gift card. Wowza! Enter at the end of this post. You still have time!

Fresh asparagus is definitely a harbinger of Spring and Michigan is one of the largest domestic asparagus growers in the United States. Michigan Asparagus is available mid-May through June and is the only hand-snapped harvested asparagus which means more usable asparagus and less waste.

Local Michigan farmers produce approximately 25 million pounds of Michigan Asparagus during the state's 6-7 week harvest. Michigan Asparagus has excellent flavor and a long shelf life. It is a nutrient-dense, low-calorie vegetable with no fat, no cholesterol, and very little sodium.

Grilled Ras el Hanout Shrimp

Ras el Hanout is a spice blend from North Africa that's akin to garam masala in Indian cuisine. Ras el Hanout, in Arabic, means "head of the shop", similar to the English expression "top-shelf", and implies it's a mixture of the best spices the seller has to offer.

I've seen recipes that include ten spices; I've seen recipes that include nearly fifty spices. So, while there is no definitive composition, it usually includes some combination of cardamom, cumin, clove, cinnamon, nutmeg, mace, allspice, ginger, chile peppers, coriander seeds, peppercorns, paprika, and turmeric. I have seen it with grains of paradise, fennel, saffron, and even rose petals.

Ingredients

Ras el Hanout

2 t cinnamon, ground
2 t nutmeg, ground
2 t coriander seeds, ground
1-1/2 t cumin, ground
1-1/2 t turmeric, ground
1-1/2 t fleur de sel or other flake salt
1 t allspice, ground
1 t black pepper, ground
1 t black cardamom, ground
1 t red chile pepper flakes
1/2 t cloves, ground
1/2 t hot paprika, ground
1/2 t smoked paprika, ground

Shrimp

1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
grill or grill pan
oil for the grill
preserved lemon rind, thinly sliced

Procedure

Ras el Hanout
Place all of the spices in a bowl and stir to blend. Set aside.

Shrimp
Place shrimp in a medium mixing bowl. Sprinkle 1 to 2 T of ras el hanout over the shrimp. Toss to coat. Heat the grill or grill pan over medium heat. Lay the shrimp in a single layer on the grill. Cook until the shrimp turns opaque and chars, approximately 1 to 2 minutes per side.

To Serve

Place the shrimp in a serving bowl or platter. Garnish with preserved lemon rind. I served the shrimp with some grilled asparagus. Yum!

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