Lucky Shrimp

I'm a pretty improvisational cook. No rules, no measurements, dozens of ingredients, kitchens destroyed, hours spent on a single dish because, hey, why not? But sometimes we all need some rules to keep us honest. Are we really cooking skillfully here, or are we just piling on enough stuff that we can't help but find something to like?

I was recently issued a cooking challenge for a job interview, one I have yet to find out the final verdict on. The challenge:

One recipe

To be served at room temperature

Must be transportable

No more than six ingredients

Must feature pineapple

Pineapple? SIX ingredients? Palpitations, folks. I haven't cooked with pineapple...well ever basically. And I might be able to pull something off if I could go for baked goods or maybe bake a whole ham. But neither of those options was going to fly, and so I bit the bullet, dealt with the parameters of the assignment, and re-learned very quickly something I should have remembered from high school art class--putting rules and limitations on yourself is sometimes a great way of finding out just how creative you can be. The result of this little experiment was something I've taken to calling Lucky Shrimp, in the hopes that if I say it enough times, it will actually bring me luck (and the job I want). So here it is, without further preamble, my recipe for Lucky Shrimp:

1/2 pound shelled, de-veined shrimp

2 limes

Blue agave nectar, amber (Can also substitute honey.)

Chipotle peppers

Cilantro

Fresh, whole pineapple

Salt and pepper (Do not count as ingredients! I'm not a cheater!)

Fire up the grill, or set your kitchen contact grill to 350.

Rinse and dry shrimp thoroughly and set aside in the refrigerator.

With a sharp knife, open two chipotle peppers to expose the seeds and ribs. Remove these and discard, leaving only the leathery skins. Grind the peppers in a coffee grinder until fine. Set aside.

Finely chop 1 cup fresh cilantro, and combine in a bowl with the juice of 2 limes, and 1/2 -1 cup of blue agave nectar. Add ground chipotle, salt and pepper. Set aside a small amount of the marinade, aproximately 1/4 cup. Take the rest and pour over the cleaned shrimp, and leave to marinade in the refrigerator for about an hour.

Cut the pineapple into chunks, discarding core and taking care to remove all traces of rind. Place chunks on bamboo skewers, alternating with the marinaded shrimp. With a basting brush, brush the pineapple slices with the reserved marinade, making sure that each piece of pineapple gets some smoky chipotle flecks before hitting the grill.

Grill skewers on both sides, about 4 minutes each side, or until the shrimp turn pink and your pineapple chunks are sporting attractive, caramel colored grill marks. Can be enjoyed at room temperature, but when eaten hot off the grill--magic.

My interview panel made many yummy noises while enjoying my Lucky Shrimp, as did Mr. Gastro when I came home later that night and made a fresh batch for dinner using what I had left over. The results are unexpectedly smoky, sweet, savory and spicy, and whatever the results of my interview, I know I will be coming back to this dish many times over the course of the summer. Why? Because it's only got six ingredients, it can be enjoyed hot or at room temperature, and it has pineapple, which is my new favorite ingredient.