DEBORAH REMEMBERS…When I was a little girl, our family lived for several years on a beach in Tahiti. We’d fish in the lagoon from our dugout outrigger canoe, and more than once I’d wake before dawn to hunt shrimp in the freshwater creek that came down from the mountains. We’d fashion torches from dead palm fronds and walk the shallows looking for deeper holes where we could scoop up shrimp trapped by the lower water level. Then at dawn we’d catch the bus into town and sell our buckets of shrimp at the local market. Of course the shrimp from the Gulf of California (Sea of Cortez) are very different from Tahitian shrimp, but I love their curled pinkness hot off the grill just the same.

Choose slim but sturdy rosemary sprigs just strong enough to pierce the seafood, or substitute small bamboo skewers. Other herbs such as basil shine in this simple, lovely dish that brings the garden to your plate.

Cooking delicate seafood can be a tricky process. Always marinate the seafood to add flavor and moisture, cook over moderate heat, and most important, don’t overcook it!