Grilled Shrimp with Yuzu Kosho Pesto

Tomato, the Japanese grocery at 7124 Peachtree Industrial Blvd. in Norcross, is tucked away next to sushi restaurant. (Read the Patch review of Sushi Yoko here!) What a treat to find all these Japanese products under one roof.

I was in search of the condiment yuzu kosho and found it here. (I can’t read Japanese but it had a paper sticker on the back of the tube that told me in English the name of the product.) This condiment is made from the zest of yuzu, an extremely tart citrus fruit blended with chili peppers and salt.

It can come in a jar or a tube. I found it in a tube. This stuff is magic on seafood. (Editor's note: agreed!) It is my new go to ingredient. This recipe is adapted from a recipe I found on the Food & Wine website. We ate this shrimp with our fingers and couldn’t stop these they were so good. 

Grilled Shrimp with Yuzu Kosho Pesto

3 Tbsp yuzu kosho

1 Tbsp minced ginger

2 large cloves of garlic, minced

1 Tbsp lemon zest

3 Tbsp cilantro, chopped

½ cup extra-vrigin olive oil

2 lbs large shrimp, butterflied in the shell

Combine the first 5 ingredients in a bowl. Slowly whisk in the oil until emulsified. Brush half of the pesto on the shrimp and let it stand for 10-15 minutes. Grill over high heat for about 4 minutes turning once. Serve with the remaining pesto.

I served these shrimp with a miso slaw that I also found on this website. It was the perfect accompaniment to the shrimp.

Miso Slaw

¼ cup unseasoned rice vinegar

3 Tbsp white (shiro) miso

1 Tbsp mayonnaise

1 Tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp grated ginger

Pinch of sugar

¾ cup walnut oil (can use grapeseed oil or vegetable oil)

Salt & pepper to taste

1 lb bag of coleslaw mix

3 large green onions, sliced

4 radishes, thinly sliced

¼ cup toasted sliced almonds for garnish

Blend the first 6 ingredients in a food processor. Slowly add the oil. Season with salt & pepper to taste. 

Toss the coleslaw mix, green onions and radishes in a bowl. Pour ½ cup of dressing over the slaw mix and toss until well coated, adding more dressing as desired. Save remaining dressing. It can be refrigerated for up to a week.

Top with the toasted almonds and serve.