Grilled Shrimp Kebabs with Kimchi Butter

When Pêche opened in New Orleans in 2013, it quickly became one of the most lauded seafood restaurants in the South. Most notably, it took home the James Beard Award for Best New Restaurant in 2014, and chef Ryan Prewitt took home the foundation’s award for Best Chef: South that same year.

A decade later, the restaurant’s dedication to highlighting the Gulf’s best proteins has never wavered. Whether in the form of raw oysters or elegant whole fish preparations, the menu at Pêche merges the region’s freshest, most sustainable seafood with international flavors.

In her recipe for shrimp kebabs, Pêche chef Nicole Cabrera Mills enhances jumbo shrimp with ingredients from Korea, Japan, and her own Filipino heritage, plus a great char from the grill. Note: The kimchi butter renders down to about two cups, the excess of which may be kept in the fridge for up to six months and brushed on a variety of grilled foods.

Ingredients

GRILLED SHRIMP KEBABS WITH KIMCHI BUTTER (Yield: a platter of 10 kebabs, 3 shrimp on each skewer)

1 lb. jumbo shrimp, peeled, tail on
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 tbsp. sesame oil
½ cup kimchi butter (recipe follows)
1 tbsp. fresh lime juice
Togarashi spice, to taste
Pre-soaked wooden skewers, or metal skewers

FOR THE KIMCHI BUTTER

1¼ lb. butter (about 5 sticks), softened to room temperature but not hot
¼ cup green onion kimchi
2 tbsp. fresh garlic, coarsely chopped
2 tbsp. sambal oelek
¼ cup rice wine vinegar
¼ cup gochugang
2 tbsp. salt

Preparation

Make the kimchi butter: Using a blender or food processor, puree the green onion kimchi. Set aside. Then, add the garlic, sambal, and rice vinegar to the mixer. Blend until all lumps are gone. Stream in the kimchi puree. Add gochugang, salt, and butter. Blend until the butter is completely incorporated.

Make the shrimp skewers: Pat skewers dry. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper, then coat with sesame oil. Thread onto skewers. Grill on high heat for 2 minutes on each side.

To serve, brush with kimchi butter and drizzle with lime juice. Garnish with togarashi spice.