Grilled Shrimp and Sausage Gumbo Skewers

Much like the day I adopted my sweet hound, Denver, I will never forget how it felt the day we brought home our grill. The excitement of going to the store and picking out the one, bringing it to our home and waking up every day excited to cook with it.

The experience was very much like adopting a puppy. And much like a puppy, I was quick to get attached. Before long, the fondness I had developed for my grill was palpable. The bond was solidified when I named our grill ‘Hank Grill,’ a little homage to Hank Hill from ‘King of the Hill’ (propane and propane accessories). And also like a puppy, once it has a name, it owns you.

I spent all summer grilling with Hank Grill, tongs in hand. And as the summer progressed, I broke out of a bratwurst and chicken breast rut and finally tried Brined Brick Chicken, this Grilled Pear and Prosciutto Pizza, and Grilled Eggplant Salad.

Once fall hit, the days I spent with Hank Grill grew few and far between. The temperature was dropping and Jay kept threatening to put our beloved appliance in the shed for storage. One cold day in November, we grilled our last pork tenderloin of the season. It was time to accept the hard truth. My frozen hands could no longer hold the tongs, which had become an extension of my own hands. Jay was kind enough to leave the grill on the porch, but all I could do was fixate on Hank Grill through our back porch window, hands pressed against the frosted glass, pining for the day the snow melted and grilling season was back.

I wanted to grill, bad. I wanted to grill so bad, it hurt.

And finally, finally, our corner of the world started warming up. On an unseasonably warm March day we were able to light our grill back up and render some much missed char marks on a couple of chicken breasts. Since then, whenever the weather has permitted, I’ve been grilling.

These skewers are for Jay, who requested gumbo for dinner and got these instead because you can’t grill stew. I plan on taking full advantage of this grilling season.

I start by making a glaze with Worcestershire and barbecue sauce for the base. I add some creole spices and brush my skewers that have been threaded with peppers, onions, shrimp, and andouille sausage. I continue to baste my skewers as they cook until the peppers have softened and the shrimp is opaque.

If you don’t have a grill, these can absolutely be cooked on the stovetop. Just use a grill plate or large skillet and cook for 2-3 minutes per side. These make a perfect summer meal and I hope you try them out!

Shrimp and Sausage Gumbo Skewers

Makes 4 skewers

For the Glaze

• 1/2 Cup Worcestershire
• 1/2 Cup Barbecue Sauce
• 1 Tbsp Oregano
• 1 Tsp Smoked Paprika
• 1 Tsp Thyme
• 1 Tsp Onion Powder
• 1/2 Tsp Garlic Powder
• Pinch of Cayenne
• Pinch of Salt
• Pepper

For the Skewers

• 1 7 oz. Andouille Sausage Link, cut into 8 even pieces
• 8 Uncooked Shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 Red Bell Pepper, cut into 8 even pieces
• 1 Yellow Bell Pepper, cut into 8 even pieces
• 1 Green Bell Pepper, cut into 8 even pieces
• 1 Onion, cut into 8 even pieces
• 2 Green Onions, chopped (optional)
• Cooked Rice (for serving, optional)

Preheat the grill to medium or use a grill pan or large skillet over medium heat. Mix the ingredients for the sauce and set aside. Using metal skewers or wood ones that have been soaked in water for a couple hours, thread the onion, bell peppers, shrimp, and sausage. Each skewer should have 2 of each of the elements. Brush each skewer with the sauce and place on the heat source. Allow to cook for 3-4 minutes on one side then flip each skewer. Brush more sauce on the skewers and allow to cook for 3-4 more minutes until the shrimp are opaque. Top with green onions and serve with rice.