Grilled Cocktail Shrimp and Santa Maria Garlic Bread

It was appetizer night at our house last night. What's not to love about grilled cocktail shrimp and garlic bread.

Grilled Cocktail Shrimp

Ingredients:
For the Shrimp and Marinade:
1 1/2 - 2 pounds large to jumbo shrimp
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro or flat leaf parsley
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon minced canned chipolte pepper, plus 1 to 2 teaspoons of the juice from the can
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Coarse salt and cracked black pepper

For the Cocktail Sauce:
1 cup ketchup
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 to 2 canned chipolte peppers, plus 1 to 2 teaspoons of the juice from the can
Coarse salt and cracked black pepper

Rinse the shrimp under cold running water, then blot dry with paper towels.  Place the cilantro, garlic and chipolte with its juices in a nonreactive mixing bowl and toss to mix.  Stir in the olive oil and lime juice, season with salt and pepper to taste.  Add the shrimp and let them marinate in the refrigerator, covered, for 30 minutes.

Place the katchup, orange juice, lime juice, Worcestershire sauce and chipoltes in their juices in a nonreactive mixing bowl and whisk to mix.  Taste for seasoning, adding more lime juice as necessary and salt and pepper to taste.  Place the sauce in a small serving bowl and set aside.

Thread the shimp on to skewers, inserting it near the head and tail ends so that the shrimp curls like a C.

Set the grill up for direct grilling and preheat to high.

Arrange the skewered shrimp on the grill. Grill the shrimp until just cooked through, about 2 minutes per side. When done the shrimp will turn pinkish white and will be firm to the touch.

Santa Maria Garlic Bread

Ingredients:
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) salted butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped
1 loaf French bread

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and parsley, and cook until the garlic is fragrant, about 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat.

Cut the bread into diagonal 1/2” slices. Lightly brush some of the garlic butter onto both sides of each slice.

Set up the grill for medium heat, direct grilling with both a hot and cold (unheated) zone. When ready to cook, brush and oil the grate. Place the bread slices over the hot zone over the coals, and toast them until golden brown, 1-3 minutes per side. Keep an eye on them, so they don’t burn.

Serve immediately.