Shrimp on the Barbie

Prior to getting shrimp on the barbie, one has to buy, clean, and prep said shrimp. Fortunately here in Zihuatanejo we have a local vendor who will take care of the first two parts of that equation. We were turned on to this vendor by friends who detailed his location in our often confusing mercado. Sure enough, we found him right where he was supposed to be and he did indeed efficiently clean the kilo of shrimp we purchased this morning. He told us he has owned the business since 1978 and cleans as much as 40 pounds of shrimp a day during the high season. I think truth be told, his assistant (shown here) is the one who does most of the cleaning. Her fingers were a blur as she plowed through the pile of fresh shrimp we had agreed to buy, neatly separating shell from meat and getting it ready for my wife to season to perfection prior to my barbecuing. It is good to be back next to the sea.