For those of you who don’t know Creole and Cajun cuisines, NoLa is New Orleans, and New Orleans BBQ shrimp never gets near a grill, although there are many ways to cook it. My preferred method is to make the sauce in a cast iron skillet on the stove, then add the shrimp and put it in the oven; it reduces your chance of overcooking the shrimp.
We visited New Orleans on our last great family vacation when I was sixteen (the Crusades had just started). Dad took us to a very posh restaurant one night. Deep red velvet seating, service staff in tuxes and pinafores, so dark that Dad needed the server to bring a flashlight to read the check (and an AED after he’d read it!). I don’t remember what everyone else had; I ordered the BBQ shrimp, thinking I’d get a couple of skewers of, well, barbecued shrimp. What I got was a huge platter of heads-on shrimp in a buttery very spiced and extremely spicy sauce. A finger bowl was served with the shrimp (an absolute necessity!), and my 16 year old self thought it was a dipping sauce to cut some of the spiciness! Much hilarity ensued.
Anyway, I’ve never been able to accurately recreate the recipe, and none of the recipes I’ve found on the web really come close. But I did come really close the other night, and I’d like to share it with you! You can still make this if you don’t have heads-on shrimp, but you will be missing the complex, creamy flavor that the heads add. And one of the joys of this dish is sucking on the heads.
NEW ORLEANS BBQ SHRIMP (for two)
1/2 pound large heads-on shrimp
1/4 cup clarified butter or ghee, more if necessary (the ghee adds a lovely nutty flavor)
Don’t use regular butter; the smoke point is too low and your dish will be bitter.
1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
8 cloves of garlic, smashed, peeled and finely minced
2 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp Cajun or Creole seasoning
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce (more or less to taste, but this is the signature flavor in the dish)
2 cups flat lager beer or dry white wine (according to your preference)
1 tbsp finely ground black pepper. (If that doesn’t spice it up enough for you, add a few dashes of Louisiana hot sauce, like Crystal). You can start with less, of course!
Preheat the oven to 350°F
Heat the clarified butter in a medium cast iron skillet over medium heat.
Add the onions and sauté until soft and translucent.
Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, but not browned.
Add the other herbs and stir.
Deglaze the pan with a bit of the beer, then add the rest of the beer. Bring to a simmer and reduce the sauce just a little for about 5 minutes. The sauce should not be thick.
Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the shrimp, coating them with the sauce.
Place the skillet in the oven. Turn the shrimp after about 5 minutesand let cook another 5 minutes, until shrimp are just pink.
Serve over rice or with crusty French bread.
If you try this and have suggestions, please let me know! Better yet, share your recipe with me!
We visited New Orleans on our last great family vacation when I was sixteen (the Crusades had just started). Dad took us to a very posh restaurant one night. Deep red velvet seating, service staff in tuxes and pinafores, so dark that Dad needed the server to bring a flashlight to read the check (and an AED after he’d read it!). I don’t remember what everyone else had; I ordered the BBQ shrimp, thinking I’d get a couple of skewers of, well, barbecued shrimp. What I got was a huge platter of heads-on shrimp in a buttery very spiced and extremely spicy sauce. A finger bowl was served with the shrimp (an absolute necessity!), and my 16 year old self thought it was a dipping sauce to cut some of the spiciness! Much hilarity ensued.
Anyway, I’ve never been able to accurately recreate the recipe, and none of the recipes I’ve found on the web really come close. But I did come really close the other night, and I’d like to share it with you! You can still make this if you don’t have heads-on shrimp, but you will be missing the complex, creamy flavor that the heads add. And one of the joys of this dish is sucking on the heads.
NEW ORLEANS BBQ SHRIMP (for two)
1/2 pound large heads-on shrimp
1/4 cup clarified butter or ghee, more if necessary (the ghee adds a lovely nutty flavor)
Don’t use regular butter; the smoke point is too low and your dish will be bitter.
1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
8 cloves of garlic, smashed, peeled and finely minced
2 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp Cajun or Creole seasoning
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce (more or less to taste, but this is the signature flavor in the dish)
2 cups flat lager beer or dry white wine (according to your preference)
1 tbsp finely ground black pepper. (If that doesn’t spice it up enough for you, add a few dashes of Louisiana hot sauce, like Crystal). You can start with less, of course!
Preheat the oven to 350°F
Heat the clarified butter in a medium cast iron skillet over medium heat.
Add the onions and sauté until soft and translucent.
Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, but not browned.
Add the other herbs and stir.
Deglaze the pan with a bit of the beer, then add the rest of the beer. Bring to a simmer and reduce the sauce just a little for about 5 minutes. The sauce should not be thick.
Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the shrimp, coating them with the sauce.
Place the skillet in the oven. Turn the shrimp after about 5 minutesand let cook another 5 minutes, until shrimp are just pink.
Serve over rice or with crusty French bread.
If you try this and have suggestions, please let me know! Better yet, share your recipe with me!
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