Butter-Drenched & Heads On: Louisiana Barbecue Shrimp
This is definitely not your average barbecue shrimp dish. Not only are these jumbo shrimp served with the heads on (don’t worry, you don’t eat them) and swimming in a bowl of spicy melted butter, but they’ve never even been near the grate of a grill. They do things a little different in Louisiana. I say, bring it on and pass the bread!
The barbecue in the title refers to the spicy butter sauce the shrimp are served in…at least that’s my theory. Emeril’s classic recipe has you reduce this sauce down to something close to a barbecue sauce consistency, but most recipes simply mix seasonings into a bowl of melted butter. Those seasonings typically include lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, minced garlic, and the always-classic Old Bay Seasoning.
The shrimp themselves get broiled, baked, or quickly sautéed, whichever method seems quickest and handiest at the time. They’re served in a bowl with the hot butter broth poured over top and a good hunk of crusty bread for sopping up the remains.
Eating a bowl of barbecued shrimp is a messy affair, as you can imagine. It’s impossible to pinch off those shrimp heads and slurp up the sauce without butter dribbling down your chin. Or your hands. Or your neighbor’s hands. You just have to go with it, get messy, and worry about the clean-up later.
Take a look at these recipes for making Louisiana Barbecue Shrimp at home:
• New Orleans BBQ Shrimp from Emeril Lagasse and The Food Network
• Barbecue Shrimp from Homesick Texan
• Pascal’s Manale BBQ Shrimp from Cajun Foodie
Have you ever had BBQ shrimp like this?
(Information for this post was gathered during a press trip to New Orleans sponsored by the Louisiana Seafood Board. All views and opinions expressed in this post are the personal views of the author.)
(Image: Flickr member aimeeorleans licensed under Creative Commons)