Spicy baked shrimp

An easy, appealing appetizer!

This has been one of my go-to appetizers for years, and is also one of my recipes that I am most often asked to share. I would rate the spice level using the quantities of seasonings here as medium-hot; you can easily adjust up or down to suit your tastes by adjusting the amount of cayenne and chili powder. You can make this dish even easier by replacing the assorted dried spices in the recipe with two tablespoons of purchased Cajun seasoning mix, available at most grocery stores. If you prepare the shrimp in individual oven-safe dishes, you can also serve it as a sit-down appetizer.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (125 mL) olive oil
• 1/2 (2.5 mL) teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon (5 mL) garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon (5 mL) paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 mL)  freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon(2.5 mL) onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 mL) cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon (1.25 mL) cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 mL) chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 mL) dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 mL) dried thyme
• 2 tablespoons (30 mL) fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon (15 mL) honey
• 1 tablespoon (15 mL) soy sauce
• 1 pound (454 grams) uncooked large shrimp, thawed, shelled and deveined
• To serve: 2 tablespoons (30 mL) chopped fresh parsley, lemon wedges, slices of baguette

Method

• Combine oil, spices, lemon juice, honey and soy sauce in 9×13-inch oven safe dish.
• Pat the shrimp dry and add to the seasonings int he dish. Stir gently to coat them thoroughly with the sauce.
• Refrigerate for one to two hours, turning shrimp over once or twice so they are evenly marinated.
• When ready to serve, preheat oven to 450°F. Bake until shrimp are cooked through, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. The shrimp will turn pink and curl up even more tightly.
• If your oven safe dish is not pretty, transfer the shrimp and all the juices to a pre-warmed, attractive shallow dish big enough to hold the volume of food.
• Sprinkle with parsley.
• Serve shrimp with lemon wedges and small slices of baguette; invite guests to scoop up the shrimp and sauce onto the pieces of bread.