Chai-Brined Shrimp Skewers

Shrimp brine in a fraction of the time it takes for large, tougher cuts of meat. If using wooden skewers, be sure to soak them in water for about 30 minutes beforehand. Purchase naan at a local Indian restaurant or gourmet market, or substitute pita bread.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 skewer and 1 piece flatbread)

Ingredients

• 3  cups  water
• 2  tablespoons  sugar
• 1  tablespoon  kosher salt
• 2  tablespoons  grated peeled fresh ginger
• 1/2  teaspoon  white peppercorns, crushed
• 8  whole cardamom pods, crushed
• 6  whole cloves
• 1  bay leaf
• 1  (3-inch) cinnamon stick, broken
• 2  tablespoons  black tea leaves (such as Darjeeling)
• 1  cup  ice cubes
• 32  peeled and deveined large shrimp (about 1 1/2 pounds)
• 2  large peeled ripe mangoes, each cut into 8 (2-inch) pieces
• Cooking spray
• 1/2  cup  sliced green onions
• 8  Indian flatbreads (naan)

Preparation

1. Combine first 9 ingredients in a large saucepan; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes. Stir in tea leaves; simmer 2 minutes. Strain mixture through a sieve into a large bowl; discard solids. Stir in ice; chill.

2. Add shrimp to water mixture; chill 20 minutes.

3. Prepare grill.

4. Remove the shrimp from bowl; discard liquid. Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels. Thread 4 shrimp and 2 mango pieces alternately onto each of 8 (12-inch) skewers.

5. Place the skewers on a grill rack coated with cooking spray. Grill for 2 minutes on each side or until the shrimp are done. Sprinkle with sliced green onions. Serve with flatbread.

Note: As pictured on the cover, you can use smaller skewers. Simply thread two shrimp alternately with two mango chunks, and serve guests two skewers each. You'll need to purchase an extra mango (which minimally increases the calories per serving) if you opt for this presentation.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

306 (16% from fat)

Fat:

5.3g (sat 2.9g,mono 1.3g,poly 0.6g)

Protein:

20.4g

Carbohydrate:

45.5g

Fiber:

5.1g

Cholesterol:

97mg

Iron:

3.5mg

Sodium:

497mg

Calcium:

63mg