Crusted Shrimp with Cashew-Zaatar Spice
The origin of zaatar dates back to ancient Egypt. Traces of this seasoning have been found in the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun. Zaatar or Za’atar is a mixture of spices from the Middle East made from dried herbs, spices, sesame, and fennel seeds. It is a versatile blend of spices used to season meats, seafood, vegetables dishes, or infused in olive oil to use as a seasoning or sauce to soak pita bread. There may be slight variations depending on regions or countries of the Middle East. This zaatar blend is perfect to create this shrimp recipe. Chef Alba
Crusted Shrimp with Cashew-Zaatar Spice
The origin of zaatar dates back to ancient Egypt. Traces of this seasoning have been found in the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun. Zaatar or Za'atar is a mixture of spices from the Middle East made from dried herbs, spices, sesame, and fennel seeds. It is a versatile blend of spices used to season meats, seafood, vegetables dishes, or infused in olive oil to use as a seasoning or sauce to soak pita bread. There may be slight variations depending on regions or countries of the Middle East. This zaatar blend is perfect to create this shrimp recipe. Chef Alba
Ingredients
Zaatar spice from scratch:
- 3 tbsps sesame seeds
- 3/4 cup raw cashews
- 2 tbsps sumac if not available, add more lemon zest
- 1 tsp cumin seeds or ground
- 1 tsp coriander seeds or ground
- 1 tsp black peppercorns or mixed
- 1/3 tsp Secolari Roasted Garlic Sea Salt
- 1 tbsp dry thyme
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- 1 tbsp dry mint
Shrimp:
- 1/4 cup Secolari Blood Orange Olive Oil
- 2 tbsps zaatar spice toasted
- 2 tbsps fresh lemon juice
- 1-2 tsps fresh lemon zest
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1/4 tsp Secolari Roasted Garlic Sea Salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 pound large shrimp shell removed tails on
- 1 large lemon cut in wedges
- 8 green onions whole
Instructions
Zaatar spice from scratch:
- Toast all ingredients on the lowest heat in a frying pan. Toast stirring often until ingredients are just fragrant and aromatic. No oil is needed, toast in dry pan. Transfer to a spice grinder, pulse to a few time to obtain a slight coarse texture. You will have some left over, store in a glass jar for another recipe.
The Shrimp:
- In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, zaatar spice, lemon juice, zest, garlic, salt, and pepper. Add shrimp and fold to coat.
- Heat a stove grill to medium heat. Grill shrimp, until golden brown, 2-3 minutes on each side depending on size of shrimp. Turn only once to allow each side to caramelize. You can also cook on an outdoor grill or a frying pan.
- Grill the lemon wedges and spring onions in the last few minutes of cooking, turning once, just until grill marks appear. Serve with shrimp.
