BBQ Shrimp, New Orleans Style
By David Guas, Chef/Owner of Bayou Bakery, Coffee Bar & Eatery – Arlington, VA
Serves: 5
Ingredients
5 pounds of wild-caught American shrimp — 16/20 or U-12’s, no heads
1/4 cup Creole seasoning [note: be careful: some contain a lot of salt]
1 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil
1/2 cup of minced garlic
1/4 cup of fresh, chopped rosemary
1/2 cup of Worcestershire sauce
Hot Sauce to taste
5 juiced lemons, reserve the skin and quarter
1 bottle of Abita Amber beer
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 pound of unsalted butter
Directions
Toss the shrimp in a bowl with half the creole seasoning. Heat a large skillet on a high heat with olive oil (should begin to smoke a bit). Add the garlic and rosemary in the pan, stir barely brown the garlic (do not burn-creates a bitter flavor). Add the shrimp and stir carefully. Add the Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, lemon juice and quartered lemons.
Add the beer to deglaze the pan. Allow the shrimp to cook for 2 minutes (depends of size) and add the remaining seasoning and salt and pepper. When the shrimp have finished cooking remove them from the pan, reduce the liquid on medium-high heat and add butter, one tablespoon at a time until the liquid become a slightly thickened sauce. Taste to adjust seasoning.
Return the shrimp to the sauce, stir for just a quick second and then portion the shrimp into large (shallow) bowls and spoon sauce over the top.
Assembly
Serve with warm French bread and, as a recommendation, use dish towels – not fancy napkins.