Gratinated Shrimp and Pumpkin Skewers, a different but delicious idea to enjoy during Christmas Eve dinner. Also ideal for the entire pumpkin season. It’s a very simple recipe to make, because even cleaning the shellfish doesn’t require any skill, just a bit of patience. If we want to prepare in advance for the event, we can make the skewers a few days ahead and store 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 links to other delicious fish-based recipes:
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 4 people
- Cooking methods: Electric oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, 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 Paper Towels
Preparation
Prepare the shrimp for the skewers, starting 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 remove the intestine with a toothpick. Quickly and gently wash them under running water and dry them well by patting them with paper towels.
Chop the garlic and parsley, and after cleaning and cutting the pumpkin, make 40 small pieces.
In a large bowl, place the chopped mixture, breadcrumbs (mine is darker because I use only wholemeal bread and make the breadcrumbs myself), salt, and mix.
Add oregano to taste, shrimp, pumpkin cubes, and mix the ingredients. If the breading is not sufficient (it will depend on the size of the shellfish), add a bit more breadcrumbs and oil.
On each skewer, initially place a piece of pumpkin, a shrimp, and always finish with pumpkin. 4 shrimp and 5 pumpkin cubes per skewer, arranging them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Add a drizzle of oil and bake in a preheated oven at 356°F (180°C) for about 15 minutes. Be careful, maybe less but not more, otherwise the shrimp will be tough.
Serve our Gratinated Shrimp and Pumpkin Skewers only a few minutes after taking them out of the oven and accompany them, if desired, with lemon wedges.
Tips
The skewers can be stored in the refrigerator for about two days, either raw or cooked, but placed in an airtight glass or ceramic container.
The same applies to freezing, which can be done in both cases, but always remember to defrost inside the refrigerator and never at room temperature to avoid nasty food poisoning.
