Recipe: Fennel and Orange Marinated Shrimp

Makes 6 to 8 servings

1 tablespoon fennel seed

2 tablespoons minced shallots

2 tablespoons minced orange zest

1 tablespoon undiluted orange-juice concentrate

Pinch of red-pepper flakes

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/2 cup olive oil

2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

2 pounds large raw shrimp (32 to 40)

1. Heat fennel seeds in a small sauté pan with no oil over high heat until just fragrant, moving seeds around so they do not get too toasty. You are going for lightly toasted, with no browning. Immediately remove seeds from pan into a plate to cool.

2. Once seeds are cool, crush them well in a mortar and pestle, or place between 2 pieces of plastic wrap and bang them with a meat mallet or heavy pan until they are crushed into tiny pieces.

3. Transfer crushed fennel seed to a large bowl and whisk in remaining ingredients, except the shrimp. Peel, devein and remove tails of the shrimp. Add shrimp to the marinade and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate; marinate for at least 4 hours or overnight.

4. Prepare a hot fire in a charcoal grill, or preheat a gas grill to high. Using metal skewers or bamboo skewers that have been soaked in water for at least 1 hour, skewer the marinated shrimp loosely spaced apart. (Discard any leftover marinade.) Grill the shrimp until just pink and done, about 1 to 2 minutes per side, or see note below on oven roasting.

5. Remove shrimp from skewers and serve on a platter. Serve hot or cold.

Note: If you don't want to fire up the grill, the shrimp can be roasted instead. Preheat an oven to 475 degrees. Lightly oil a baking sheet or spray with vegetable-oil cooking spray. Lay the shrimp on the baking sheet, spacing the shrimp apart, not touching. Roast the shrimp for about 5 minutes, or until just cooked through and pink.

The large IQF raw frozen shrimp at Trader Joe's and Costco are reasonable to purchase. If using frozen shrimp, be sure to defrost and drain well before coating in the marinade.

From (c) Kathy Casey Food Studios (www.kathycasey.com)