One of the coolest things (besides the weather) about moving to Washington from Hawaii was discovering that many of the foods I loved in my previous home were available here. Anyone who knows me understands that I love lilikoi, known to most as passionfruit—a passion for passionfruit—that’s me. Though the fruit doesn’t grow here, the flowers do, which brings me great joy in the summer. Fortunately, the fruit is available for a price at several markets here. I miss growing it for free on a lanai, but at least it’s still available. I know a truckload of ways to use it in desserts, but I’m always looking for ways to use it in savory dishes. I came across a recipe for a sauce for shrimp several years ago but found it lacked something, so I started experimenting to bring it closer to my taste.
Adding ginger gave it the lift it needed, and I added a bit more umami using some fish sauce. The result is sweet-salty-tangy shrimp with a little heat, which is delicious in my book.
It would help if the lilikoi fruit were more available in the summer, but its peak season is fall, so grilling the shrimp does work better on a warm day. The shrimp can be cooked in a grill pan or threaded onto bamboo skewers. Too cold to barbecue? Don’t let the weather stop you. Throw them onto a hot, non-stick pan or indoor grill for a few minutes, and you are good to go. I got a new non-stick crepe pan (basically, a griddle) for Christmas, and cooking the shrimp on it was made even more flavorful and tropical because I coated it with a thin layer of coconut oil.
Grilled Shrimp with Liliko‘i Ginger Sauce
Ingredients
- ½ cup strained liliko‘i juice (about 5-6 liliko‘i fruits)
- 1 cup water
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- A large pinch of red pepper flakes
- 2 Tbsp fresh grated ginger
- 1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp fish sauce
- 2 tsp coconut sugar
- Sriracha or hot seaame oil, optional
- 1 lb shrimp, rinsed, peeled, and deveined
- salt & pepper to taste
- Lime or finger lime, (if available) scallions, Thai basil, mint, and/or cilantro for garnish
Place the lilikoi juice, water, ginger, pepper flakes, lime juice, soy sauce, and coconut sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and allow the liquid to reduce to approximately 1 cup, approximately 30 minutes. Allow to cool; strain and discard solids. Add sriracha or hot sesame oil for additional heat, if desired.
Heat a grill to medium-high heat. Lightly season the cleaned shrimp with salt & pepper and arrange in a single layer in a grill pan. Grill shrimp until pink for about 3 minutes on one side, then flip them to cook the other. Remove from grill and garnish. Serve with the liliko‘i sauce over rice or noodles.
For more veggies, add a salad!
