Barbecue Shrimp

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Where I come from, barbeque shrimp has nothing to do with barbeque sauce or even a grill, for that matter. Growing up, we cooked our shrimp whole - head, tails, shells and all - in a frying pan with lots of black pepper, lemon juice, a little Worcestershire and of course, a ton of butter. The heads and tails really make this dish, giving it the deep, nutty flavor you can get only from toasted shrimp shells. We'd suck out that flavor with our teeth, pulling off the shells with our fingers - a messy and delicious feast. This version is a bit more complex but is well worth the added preparation time because you can make the sauce base ahead and store it in the refrigerator or freezer until you'rre ready for the shrimp. It's easier to eat, too.

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  • 6

Ingredients

  • FOR THE SAUCE BASE:
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 cups shrimp shells (see below)
  • 1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons basic Creole spices
  • 1/4 teaspoon whole cloves
  • 2 bay leaves
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • FOR THE SHRIMP:
  • 2 pounds jumbo shrimp, shelled and deveined (reserve shells, see above
  • 1 cup sauce base (see above)
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 cup butter
  • 1 large loaf French bread

Preparation

Step 1

1. For the sauce base, heat the olive oil in a medium pan over high heat, add the shrimp heads and shells and cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes.


2. Add the Worcestershire sauce, black pepper, the Creole seasoning, cloves, bay leaf and lemon juice. Bring to a boil. Once the liquid is boiling, reduce the heat to moderate and simmer until the liquid is reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Strain and reserve.

3. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper. Put the shrimp and the sauce base, cream and butter in a large cast-iron skillet over high heat. Bring the sauce to a boil and cook for 5 minutes.

4. Remove the shrimp from the skillet and arrange on a platter or in individual bowls. Reduce the sauce by half until it's a rich mocha color. Pour the sauce over the shrimp and serve with French Bread.

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