Balsamic Grilled Shrimp and Calamari

It hasn’t happened that often, but every once in a while I actually encounter an ingredient or dish I am scared to make.

They are usually more exotic ingredients or challenging dishes that people on Top Chef get kicked off for.

Like risotto and calamari.

And every time I finally tackle one of these big and scary tasks, I do a mental head slap that I waited so long to try it.

Just like the first day I started cooking.

It is just a meal. The worse thing that can happen is that it’s bad. And most the time it’s AWESOME.

Just like this marinated and grilled shrimp and calamari. Amazingly delicious and EASY.

You will need…

½ pound shrimp, pealed and deveined

½ pound calamari, cut into rings

¾ cup balsamic vinegar

¼ cup olive oil

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

6 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon fresh ground pepper

Start by combining the vinegar, olive oil, mustard, garlic and pepper in a bowl or mason jar and whisk or shake until the marinade is completely combined.

Combine the shrimp and calamari in a medium bowl or dish and drizzle it with the marinade.

Toss the seafood well and set it to the side to marinade for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Heat your grill to a medium high heat.

After the seafood has marinated, you have 2 options.

You can either use soaked wooden skewers (so they don’t catch on fire) to cook the seafood or you can use a special grilling pan. I opted for the grill pan, but I kind of wish I had opted for the skewers.

Place either your skewers or your grilling pan over a hot part of the grill and cook until the shrimp is pink and the calamari is opaque. 

About 3 minutes a side.

Serve hot with some crusty bread.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela

Balsamic Grilled Shrimp and Calamari

½ pound shrimp, pealed and deveined

½ pound calamari, cut into rings

¾ cup balsamic vinegar

¼ cup olive oil

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

6 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon fresh ground pepper

Start by combining the vinegar, olive oil, mustard, garlic and pepper in a bowl or mason jar and whisk or shake until the marinade is completely combined.

Combine the shrimp and calamari in a medium bowl or dish and drizzle it with the marinade.

Toss the seafood well and set it to the side to marinade for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Heat your grill to a medium high heat.

After the seafood has marinated, you have 2 options.

You can either use soaked wooden skewers (so they don’t catch on fire) to cook the seafood or you can use a special grilling pan.

Place either your skewers or your grilling pan over a hot part of the grill and cook until the shrimp is pink and the calamari is opaque. About 3 minutes a side.

Serve hot with some crusty bread.