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GO Texan Watermelon Shrimp

Grilled Texas Wild Caught Shrimp with Watermelon Ancho Glaze and Texas Watermelon Pico

The shrimp of summer has arrived! Executive Chef Ross Burtwell walks you through all of the steps for this recipe here, including making his awesome watermelon ancho glaze.
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

  • 5 dried ancho chiles
  • 2 pounds Texas wild-caught shrimp peeled and deveined
  • 8–10 inch bamboo skewers
  • Salad oil
  • 2 fresh ripe tomatoes
  • 2 or 3 serrano chiles
  • 3 cloves fresh garlic peeled
  • ½ small onion peeled
  • 1 cup fresh squeezed Texas watermelon juice
  • Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
  • 1 cup Texas watermelon pico (see recipe below)
  • ½ cup Texas goat cheese crumbled

Texas Watermelon Pico

  • ½ cup green onions minced
  • ¾ cup fresh ripe tomatoes diced small
  • ¾ cup Texas watermelon seeded and diced small
  • 1 fresh jalapeño minced
  • 1 Tablespoon cilantro minced
  • 1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions
 

  • Prepare a grill with Hill Country oak or mesquite.
  • Toast ancho chiles on the grill until puffy and fragrant.
  • Remove seeds and stem from chiles and discard. Place the chiles in a small bowl and cover with hot water for about 15 minutes or until chiles are softened.
  • Divide shrimp evenly into four separate piles. Take each group and lay pieces of shrimp side by side and run a bamboo skewer through both the top and bottom of the shrimp. Season evenly with salt and pepper, then brush with a little salad oil and hold until time to grill.
  • Next, remove cores from tomatoes and stems from the chiles. Brush with a little salad oil and place on the grill along with the garlic and onions until roasted, blackened, and blistered on all sides.
  • Place the grilled vegetables in a food processor along with watermelon juice and ancho chiles, then run until nearly pureed.
  • Season the ancho watermelon glaze with kosher salt and black pepper to taste.
  • Brush shrimp skewers with ancho watermelon glaze and place on grill. Cook until the shrimp turn pink and start to curl (about 3 minutes per side on a hot grill).
  • Remove shrimp from the grill and release from the skewers.
  • Place a couple of spoonfuls of watermelon pico in the center of four plates and top evenly with the shrimp. Drizzle some of the reserved ancho watermelon glaze across the shrimp and top with crumbled goat cheese.
  • Serve immediately.

Texas Watermelon Pico

  • Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl and season as desired with salt and pepper.
Keyword ancho, Cabernet Grill, Go Texan, hill country, pico, shrimp, watermelon
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