Overhead skewers on a plate, as seen on The Juneteenth Menu
Recipe courtesy of Michiel Perry

Lowcountry Shrimp and Sausage Muscadine Skewers

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  • Level: Easy
  • Total: 45 min (includes soaking time)
  • Active: 15 min
  • Yield: 10 skewers
Juneteenth is all about outdoor celebrations with family, and that means grilling. African American culture is rich in both hog farming and shrimping culture, so my Lowcountry spin on Juneteenth grilling pairs our favorite sausage from Roger Wood, based in Savannah, GA, with Bennetts Point shrimp from the docks of the South Carolina Sea Islands. For the sauce, I use red muscadine wine to make a marinade. The muscadine grape is local to the South and a huge part of my Southern childhood was picking muscadines on my grandfather's property. This is a perfect appetizer to pair with a cocktail or serve as a snack to picky kids such as mine.

Ingredients

Directions

Special equipment:
ten 12-inch-long wooden skewers
  1. Fill a baking dish with water and place ten 12-inch-long wooden skewers in it to soak for 30 minutes.
  2. In a small bowl, add the muscadine wine, olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, garlic, honey and paprika. Whisk to combine. Reserve 1/4 cup of the sauce for serving. 
  3. Thread the shrimp and sausage onto the skewers, alternating between the two and leaving a 2-inch space at the blunt end of each skewer for a handle. Using a pastry brush, coat each skewer in some of the remaining muscadine sauce. Be sure to brush all sides. 
  4. Heat a grill over medium-high heat; oil the grill grates.  
  5. Place the skewers on the grill and cook until the shrimp are opaque with some nice crispy caramelization, brushing with more sauce as they flip and cook, 3 to 5 minutes. Drizzle with the reserved sauce and serve!