Gin Marinated Cajun Shrimp with Zucchini

So excited to share this recipe for Gin Marinated Cajun Shrimp with Zucchini. I kid you not Dillon and me ate all of it in one sitting twice! This is a great summer “wear a bib and get your hands dirty” kinda dish. Spicy, tangy and herbaceous this hits the spot, on all levels. 

Okay, so I love simple gin and tonic or even a good Negroni when I’m in the mood, Gin is dfinitely my go-to spirit on a fun night out. I had the chance of trying Brockmans Gin recently and it has absolutely blown me away! They take great care in sourcing botanicals that are steeped in 100-year-old copper barrels. Wow. When we decided on a collaboration and they wanted me to create something savoury. I was more than happy to oblige because I had never cooked with Gin a recipe before and I am always up for a challenge.

I realise there’s so much more you can do with a good bottle of gin. You have probably read about the use of alcohol to deglaze fond off of pans after searing meat to make a delicious sauce and that’s what I initially had in mind initially. But after doing some research I wanted to make a dish that was summery and used some sort of seafood.

I like spending hours in the kitchen, but I know a lot of people don’t so I tried to keep this recipe as simple as possible. Make the cajun spice a day or even weeks ahead to save trouble the day of. For the seafood, I went for shrimp because I knew it would compliment the all the amazing botanicals Brockmans uses to steep their Gin.

You can choose to make this recipe with de-shelled shrimp, but I enjoy the act of peeling the shells and sucking out all the juicy goodness of the Cajun and gin marination. Messy but SO worth it! 

INGREDIENTS

• 4 tbsp Brockmans Gin
• 2 zucchini, sliced rounds
• 1 yellow bell pepper, large dice
• 1 kg shrimp, shell on, de veined OR shell off, de-veined 
• 1 lime, juiced 
• 2 tbsp olive oil 
• salt (add according to preference after shrimp is cooked) 

For the Cajun Spice Mix

• 2 tbsp onion powder 
• 2 tbsp garlic powder 
• 4 tablespoon dulce paprika 
• 2 tbsp cayenne pepper 
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• 1 tbsp dried thyme 
• 1 tbsp Italian seasoning 
• 2 tsp salt 
• 2 tbsp black pepper powder 
• 2 tbsp white pepper powder 

DIRECTIONS

1. To make ajun spice mix  – measure out and put all spice powder in a bowl, give it a good mix and store in an air tight container 
2. Marinade shrimp, zucchini and bell pepper with 3 tablespoons of cajun spice mix, gin and lime juice. 
3. Refrigerate this for 20 mins 
4. Heat oil in a skillet and add the shrimp and veggies. Cook for about 3 mins on each side and serve hot with lime wedges.