Shrimp Skewered on Rosemary Branches

The perfume of rosemary cooking on the grill will give your dinner a delightful Tuscan feeling. Thread the shrimp on long rosemary branches and serve them that way, hot from the fire.

1-I/2 cups olive oil

8 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped

48 large shrimp, peeled and deveined

16 long rosemary branches, soaked in water for 1 hour

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Combine the olive oil and garlic in a large shallow pan or baking dish. Set aside 1/2 cup of the oil-garlic mixture for basting; add shrimp to the pan. Let marinate for 2 hours, no longer.

Preheat a gas or charcoal grill to medium high.

Remove 1 inch of leaves from the bottom of each rosemary branch and with a sharp knife, cut the end of the stem to make a slight point.

Remove the shrimp from the marinade, shaking off any excess (discard the used marinade). Thread 3 shrimps on each rosemary branch. Season with salt and pepper. Grill until just cooked through, to 3 minutes on each side, basting with the reserved marinade every 30 seconds or so.

To serve, place the shrimps, still on the rosemary branches, on a large platter. Remove shrimps from branch before eating.

Makes 8 servings

(c) Copyright 1999. The Christian Science Publishing Society