Island Shrimp from French Polynesia

We were in French Polynesia over the Japanese holiday of Golden Week, where there are 3 days off during the first week of May.  Unfortunately, it’s also the week of May Day, a holiday celebrated in many European countries.  Since French Polynesia is still quite French, they also had the day off and almost everything was closed (same thing happened last year, when we were in Paris/Rome during the holiday!).  So we stocked up on groceries and the ingredients necessary for some tropical cocktails and planned to lay low.  We grilled, enjoyed the water, took a drive around the island of Mo’orea and read.  

For lunch, I found gorgeous lagoon shrimp in the market.  They were begging for a simple marinade from coconut milk, lime, and garlic.  I prepped most of the ingredients inside with a cold beer in one hand, then brought everything out to the grill at the edge of the property.  I skewered and quickly grilled them, then added an extra squeeze of lime and a sprinkle of cilantro (not local or authentic, but it was too pretty in the market to pass up) for an easy, healthy and delicious meal.  We served these island shrimp with some beautiful tender bib lettuce and a mango vinaigrette (made with local mango vinegar from the juice distillery here on Moorea).  The view from our table was decent, I suppose.

I like this recipe because you can find the ingredients anywhere to make your own little island paradise.  The coconut brings out the natural sweetness of the shrimp, while the lime balances the dish.  Add a fruity cocktail and a pretty sunset for bonus points.

You’ll notice 2 kinds of shrimp in the photos.  The ones that I peeled then marinataed had much more flavor and were easier to eat than the ones I marinated and grilled whole.  I was trying to cut corners by keeping some of the shrimp whole (and they were SO PRETTY! Did I mention that?), but I wouldn’t recommend it for this recipe.  They weren’t as flavorful, and were kind of annoying to peel.