Grilled Shrimp with Pineapple Salsa is served with a summery white wine from the Canary Islands. Our contribution to a Wine Pairing Weekend event featuring summer supper and wine pairings. Note this recipe will produce extra pineapple salsa, enough to double the quantity of shrimp or to save for another use.
This summer supper and wine pairing started with the wine. I recalled noting the Viñátigo Gual was full of summer flavors when I tried it last year, so I thought it would be a good start to the summer wine pairing.
The Gual wine hails from the Canary Islands. I figured some kind of seafood would be a good bet for a wine from an island producer, so I thought I would try a grilled shrimp with pineapple salsa.
Grilled shrimp is easy to make, and pineapple salsa is bursting with summer flavor. So putting the two together seemed like a great idea for this summer supper and wine #winePW hosted by Nancy at Pull That Cork.
Grilled Shrimp With Pineapple Salsa Cooking Notes
My grill pan got put to good use for the Grilled Shrimp with Pineapple Salsa recipe, as I used it to make the salsa and the shrimp. (I’ve provided my Amazon affiliate link to a good grill pan option; I would earn a commission if you use a purchase using the link).
Shrimp grills very quickly, so start this recipe by making the salsa so it is already. The onions and green pepper get grilled, preferably in the grill pan, to start the pineapple salsa. Remove the onions and peppers from the pan and get it cleaned to cook the shrimp.
Finish the salsa by adding the fresh pineapple and other ingredients to the salsa, and set it aside to make the shrimp.
I buy shrimp that are uncooked but peeled and deveined already, which makes the preparation much easier. I typically get shrimp frozen and keep in the freezer for a quick protein source to have on hand.
As I said, I like to cook the shrimp in a grill pan. I suppose you could place the shrimp directly on the grill, just turn it over carefully so the shrimp doesn’t slip into the fire. You can also grill larger pieces of onion and pepper directly, and chop them for the salsa after grilling if you don’t have a grill pan.
Note this recipe will produce extra pineapple salsa, enough to double the quantity of shrimp or to save for another use.
Wine Pairing for Grilled Shrimp with Pineapple Salsa
As I mentioned, I had picked out the 2015 Viñátigo Gual ($28, 13%ABV) to serve with the grilled shrimp with pineapple salsa. Gual is a white wine grape from the Canary Islands. Bodegas Viñátigo, one of the top Canary Island wine producers, is located on the island of Tenerife, which features volcanic soils. The Canary Islands are part of Spain, located off the coast of Morocco.
How did this pairing for grilled shrimp with pineapple salsa work? The Viñátigo Gual has a steely nose, with a taste of apricot and notes of bacon and hazelnut. The wine has a smokiness which pairs very nicely with the grilled flavors of the shrimp along with the grilled onions and pepper in the salsa. There’s plenty of good fruit in the wine to match up with the fresh pineapple. There is some underlying minerality which works well with shellfish. This pairing definitely gets an “A”, and I recommend trying it some time this summer!
I would note that in summer time we seem to want light white wines that are simple and refreshing. Such wines are definitely enjoyable in the warm weather. The Viñátigo Gual is a different style white wine. Plenty of summery notes in the fruit, but layers of complexity you could contemplate by the fire as the day cools off.
If you are looking for this wine in the Boston area, I got it at Pairings Wine and Food. You might try contacting David Bowler Wine about where to find this wine in your area.
Some of you may recall this isn’t my first #winePW visit to the Canary Islands. I previously paired a red wine from the Canary Islands with Pork Tenderloin with Onions.
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Grilled Shrimp with Pineapple Salsa and a Summery White Wine #winePW
Easy grilled shrimp served with a pineapple salsa bursting with summer flavors.
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 25 mins
- Yield: 2 servings 1x
- Category: Main
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- SALSA
- 1 onion, sliced and chopped
- ½ of a green bell pepper, chopped
- 2 cups pineapple, diced into ½ inch pieces
- 1 serrano pepper, seeded and minced
- 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tbsp cilantro, minced
- salt and pepper to taste
- SHRIMP
- 12 shrimp, rinsed and patted dry
- 2 tbsp soy sauce (low sodium preferred)
- 2 tsp honey
- 1 tbs olive oil
Instructions
- Make the salsa: Toss the onion and green pepper with 1 tablespoon olive oil, and spread on a grill pan.
- Place the onion and peppers on the grill. Grill for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from grill when the onion has started to brown. NOTE: If you don’t have a grill pan for the onion and peppers, you could grill larger onion and pepper slices and chop them after grilling.
- In a bowl, combine the pineapple, grilled onion and green pepper, serrano pepper, 1 tablespoon olive oil, cilantro and lime juice. Salt and pepper to taste, stir and set aside.
- Prepare the shrimp: mix the soy sauce, honey and olive in a large bowl.
- Add the shrimp to the bowl and toss to combine with the soy sauce mixture.
- Preheat grill to medium high.
- Pour the shrimp into the grill pan, and allow excess liquid to drip off a bit.
- Place the shrimp pan onto the grill. Grill for 2 to 3 minutes, covered, then stir and turn the shrimp over. Cook another 2 to 3 minutes until the shrimp are cooked through. Remove grill pan from heat.
- Plate a serving of the shrimp along with a generous scoop of pineapple salsa, and repeat. Enjoy with a summery white wine!
Summer Supper and Wine Pairings from #winePW
- Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm will share Eating and Drinking Locally for the Summer Months #WinePW
- Cindy of Grape Experiences will pair Summer Supper: Cool Pasta Salad and Côtes du Rhône Refreshers
- Ellen of Family Around The Table will prepare Hassleback Chicken Cordon Bleu
- Jane of Always Ravenous will prepare Southern Summer Supper with a French Twist
- David of Cooking Chat will pair Grilled Shrimp with Pineapple Salsa and a Summery White Wine
- Camilla of Culinary Adventures with Camilla will share Ceviche + Scheid’s Albariño #WinePW
- Jade of Tasting Pour will share Sweet Pea Pesto Meets Wines of Summer
- Jeff of FoodWineClick has prepared Cool Kitchen Seafood Rolls for an Easy Summer Supper
- Julie and Edgar of Wine-N-Friends will share Tintilla and Ribs: Superb Summer Pairing #winePW
- Gwendolyn of Wine Predator will share Getting to know Napa: Bison Steak BBQ with Rombauer Atlas and Stice Cabs plus Conn Creek Atlas Rose! #WinePW
- Peter and Nancy of Pull That Cork will share Lamb Gyros and a Super Sauvignon Blanc for #winePW
Wine Pairing Weekend is held the 2nd Sunday of each month. Get the schedule for future #winePW events here.
Ellen
Sounds like a delightful pairing. This recipe is definitely going into the “to try” file!
Cooking Chat
Thanks Ellen, hope you get a chance to try it!
Lauren Walsh
That pineapple salsa is on my radar! So perfect for the summer, and I bet it goes with almost anything. Your wine is intriguing, too. Can’t say I’ve seen a bottle from the Canary Islands before!
Cooking Chat
I have enjoyed this salsa with chicken and several different types of fish. Definitely versatile!
Wendy Klik
I love that you find unique wines to share with us so often David. I didn’t even know they had wineries in the Canary Islands.
Cooking Chat
Thanks Wendy! The two wines I’ve had from the Canary Islands are excellent and worth seeking out.
jeff
I love shrimp with tropical salsa. I’ve never heard of Gual, add that to my list!
Jane
The grilled shrimp with pineapple salsa sounds so perfect for a summer supper. I also enjoy pairing fruit like condiments with meat especially in the summer when the choices are so plentiful! Cheers!
Cooking Chat
Thanks Jane! Yes, fruit is refreshing with a meal in the summer.
Tasting Pour / Jade Helm
I have never tried this wine before, David. The descriptor sounds really interesting. I love the combination of shrimp and sweet tropical fruits. Thanks for sharing.
Gwendolyn Alley
I’ve never had wine from the Canary Islands! I’ll have to check it out!
★★★★★
Jeff
I have been in such a mood for shrimp lately! And grilling is such a good way to go with them. Add pineapple salsa! Oh yeah! And white wine – what a meal.
Cooking Chat
Thanks Jeff! While I like shrimp on the stovetop, they are especially good on the grill.