Shrimp and Gratinated Pumpkin Skewers, a different but very delicious idea to enjoy during Christmas Eve dinner. Ideal also for the entire pumpkin season. This is a very simple recipe to make, because even cleaning the crustaceans requires no skill, just a little patience. If we want to get ahead for the occasion, we can prepare the skewers a few days in advance, storing them in the refrigerator in a container, or even much earlier in the freezer. We can also make appetizers by reducing each skewer to one shrimp and two pieces of pumpkin, perhaps adding a drizzle of chili honey.
Here are some links to other delicious fish-based recipes:
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 4 servings
- Cooking methods: Electric oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Fall, Winter, and Spring
Ingredients
- 32 shrimp
- 40 pumpkin cubes
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 4 tablespoons breadcrumbs
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 bunch parsley
- 1 tablespoon oregano
- to taste salt
Tools
- 1 Baking tray
- 1 Parchment paper
- 1 Bowl
- 8 Skewers
- 1 Absorbent paper
Preparation
Prepare the shrimp for the skewers by removing the central rings of the shell. Leave only one before the head and one before the tail. Use scissors to cut off the legs and antennae from the head. Vertically cut the back of the shrimp with a sharp knife and use a toothpick to remove the intestine. Quickly and gently wash them under running water and dry them well by patting with absorbent paper.
Chop the garlic and parsley and after cleaning and cutting the pumpkin, cut out 40 pieces.
In a large bowl, toss in the chopped mixture, breadcrumbs (mine is darker because I use only whole wheat bread, and I make the breadcrumbs myself), salt, and mix.
Add oregano to taste, the shrimp, and the pumpkin cubes, and mix the ingredients. If the gratin isn’t enough (it will depend on the size of the crustaceans), add a little more breadcrumbs and oil.
On each skewer, start with a piece of pumpkin, a shrimp, and always finish with pumpkin. Use 4 shrimp and 5 pumpkin cubes per skewer, arranging them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Drizzle with a little oil and bake in a preheated oven at 356°F, cooking for about 15 minutes. Be careful, maybe less but not more, otherwise the shrimp will become tough.
Serve our Shrimp and Gratinated Pumpkin Skewers just a few minutes after removing them from the oven, and accompany them, if desired, with lemon wedges.
Advice
The skewers can be stored in the refrigerator for about two days, either raw or cooked, but placed in a hermetically sealed glass or ceramic container.
The same applies to freezing, which can be done in both cases, but remember to always defrost in the refrigerator and never at room temperature to avoid nasty food poisoning.
