Recipes

Jamaican Jerk Shrimp with Cou Cou

Serves 4

| Prep Time: 15 mins

| Cook Time: 10 mins

| Total Time: 25 mins

You may need: Jamaican Jerk

Discover The Recipe

Renowned the world over, Jerk seasoning is deeply flavorful and oh so good. Traditionally used to marinate chicken, pork, or fish for BBQ dishes, Jamaican Jerk can be used to season just about anything including sausage, shellfish, beans, stews, goat, and many vegan dishes like our Jerk Cauliflower “Wings” recipe on the website. Given how easy this dish is to make, our Jamaican Jerk Shrimp with Cou Cou recipe is sure to be a new favorite in your rotation. Tender shrimp marinated in Jamaican Jerk spice blend, over layers of creamy smooth corn polenta create a savory and uniquely spiced meal.

In Jamaica, Jerk marinade is traditionally made fiery hot with local Scotch Bonnet peppers. Our Jerk spice is mild, allowing you to customize the heat to your liking, either with authentic Scotch Bonnet pepper flakes available for sale on our website or your favorite chili peppers. ‘Cou Cou’ is a Caribbean side dish typically made from cornmeal and okra and sometimes chili peppers. In our recipe, we use polenta for a creamier texture and substitute spinach for okra to add a pop of green. Jamaican Jerk is a versatile spice blend waiting for your imagination whether to make a traditional BBQ Jerk Chicken or this quick and satisfying Jerk Shrimp with Cou Cou meal.

Ingredients

Jamaican Jerk Shrimp:
2 Tbsp olive oil, divided
2 lbs shrimp, deveined and peeled
1 Tbsp Piquant Post Jamaican Jerk
½ tsp salt
For the Cou Cou:
1 tsp salt
3 cups water
1 cup corn grits or polenta
1 cup spinach (optional)
Fresh parsley, chopped for garnish (optional)

Notes

Traditional cou cou is served with okra and served in a mound (using the shape of a bowl). We swapped the okra for spinach, but feel free to use your own choice of greens.

We made this with peeled shrimp, however if you prefer, you can leave the shells on. The shell can help trap more flavor and also helps prevent the shrimp from overcooking.

Optional ingredients add a little character and flavor but don’t sweat it if you don’t have them.

Instructions

Toss the shrimp in 1 Tbsp olive oil, Piquant Post Jamaican Jerk, and salt. Marinate for 15 minutes.

Make the cou cou while the shrimp marinate: In a medium pot, bring water and salt to a boil. Add cornmeal while whisking. Lower the heat and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in spinach until just wilted.

In a medium pan, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil over Med-High heat. Add shrimp, cook on one side for 2-3 minutes. Flip and cook for another 1-2 minutes.

Whisk cornmeal. Serve shrimp over warm cornmeal and garnish with parsley.

Alternatives & Substitutions

Our Jamaican Jerk spice blend can be used as a dry rub on any grilled meats. Customize the heat by adding fiery Jamaican Scotch Bonnet Peppers, more jalapeños, or habanero peppers.
For our Vegetarian friends, try our Jerk Cauliflower “Wings”, or our Crispy Cou Cou Bites.
Substitute the shrimp for cubes of chicken, beef, pork, fish, scallops, or your choice of protein.
For vegan/vegetarian, try using tofu cubes or tempeh. Our spice is also great in a jerk marinade and used with zucchini, mushrooms or eggplant before grilling.
Try using Piquant Post Jamaican Jerk in our Jerk Salmon Burgers with Rum Glaze or this perfect weeknight Jerk Chicken, or our Oven-baked Jerk Pork with Festival Dumplings.
These Jamaican Jerk Sloppy Joes are a great twist on the classic dish.
This Jamaican Chicken soup can easily be made in a crock pot for a cozy winter dish.
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