Barbecue Shrimp (adapted from Ralph Brennan’s New Orleans Seafood Cookbook)

By tulawdog

Ingredients

• 12 raw colossal (or the largest you can find) Gulf shrimp, unpeeled with heads and tails left on
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 1/2 tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic (2 cloves)
• 1 tablespoon of water
• half of 1 lemon, seeded
• 1/4 pound (1 stick) of unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch slices

Preparation

Step 1

1. Place the unpeeled shrimp, Worcestershire, spices, garlic and 1 tablespoon of water in a heavy 10-inch sautee pan. Squeeze the juice from the lemon half over the shrimp and add rind and pulp to the pan.
2. Over high heat, cook the shrimp while gently stirring and occasionally turning the shrimp.
After about two minutes of cooking, the shrimp should start turning pink on both sides, indicating they are nearly half cooked.
3. If the shrimp are the colossal size, now add 2 tablespoons water to the pan. Otherwise, don’t add water.
4. Reduce the heat to medium-high and continue cooking as you gradually add the cold pieces of butter to the pan. While stirring the shrimp, swirl the butter pieces until they are incorporated into the pan juices, the sauce turns light brown and creamy as it simmers, and the shrimp are just cooked through. This will take about two minutes total if the shrimp are extra-large and about three minutes if they are colossal.

5. Serve immediately with crusty bread for sopping up the sauce and lots of napkins for cleaning your hands. Makes two servings.
Note: If you can’t find shrimp with the heads on, still be sure and use unpeeled shrimp.