COLLECTION: New Orleans Barbecued Shrimp
Edward J. Branley
for Barbecued Shrimp from Mr. B's restaurant in New Orleans
generated so many good responses that I thought I'd share
them with rec.food.recipes:
New Orleans Barbecued Shrimp -- Various recipes from the
New Orleans Mailing List:
*****
i've never had BBQ Shrimp at a Brennan's restaraunt, but i assume it's
the same idea as BBQ Shrimp every where else in New Orleans. i have two
recipes. i'm not sure where the first one's from, but the second is from
"Recipes and Reminiscences of New Orleans" (vol 1, c 1971 Ursuline Academy
Parents' Club). i'll list both sets of ingredients, but the cooking
instructions are the same for either:
BBQ Shrimp #1:
8-10 lbs shrimp
1 lb butter
1 lb margarine
6 oz Worcestershire sauce
8 tbs black pepper
1 teaspoon rosemary
4 lemons (sliced)
1 teaspoon Tabasco
4 teaspoons salt
2-4 cloves garlic
BBQ Shrimp #2:
8 lbs whole shrimp
1/2 lb butter
1 cup olive oil
8 once chili sauce
3 tbs Worcestershire sauce
2 lemons, sliced
4 cloves garlic, chopped
3 tbs lemon juice
1 tbs parsley
2 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons oregano
2 teaspoons red pepper
1 teaspoon Tabasco
3 tbs liquid smoke
salt and pepper to taste
"Wash shrimp. Spread out in shallow pan. Combine ingredients in
sauce pan over low heat and pour over shrimp. Refrigerate. Baste
and turn shrimp every 30 minutes while refrigerated for several
hours. Bake at 300 degree for 30 minutes, turning shrimp at 10 minute
intervals. Serve in soup bowl with French bread to dip in sauce."
when i cook it, i mix and match ingredients and add seasoning of my
own, but i'd pretty much start with the second version. i did mention
that those Ursuline Parents' Club cookbooks (vols 1 and 2) are great,
and every fan of N.O. cooking should have them, right? ;-)
BTW, there's also a recipe for BBQ Shrimp in Paul Prudhomme's first
cookbook, but the second one above is close to definitive, IM(NS)HO.
*****
I don't have the Mister B's recipe, but I use one adapted from the Collin
cookbook. It's a lot like the old Manalie's barbecue shrimp. It's easy to
make and delicious ... and great for dinner parties, as long as your friends
aren't uptight about eating with their hand and getting butter and oil all
over their clothes.
In a big, heavy sauce pan melt 2 sticks of REAL butter, then add 1 cup of
vegetable oil and mix. Add ...
1 T minced garlic
several bay leaves, crushed
1 T dried rosemary leaves, crushed (this is VITAL -- don't leave out
rosemary, sometimes I use extra especially if my rosemary is old)
1 T paprika
1 t black pepper
1 t lemon juice
a little (maybe half a teaspoon) oregano
a little basil
a little salt
a little cayenne pepper
Heat to boiling and then simmer this mixture for about 10 minutes.
Remove from heat and let stand 30 minutes.
Add one-half pound of whole medium or large fresh whole shrimp (heads,
antennae, shells and all) per person -- for more than six people you'll want
to increase the sauce recipe. If you can't find shrimp with the heads,
that's okay, but it makes the meal more dramatic and, I think, adds flavor.
Cook over medium heat for 6 or 8 minutes, just until the shrimp turn pink.
Then put the pan in a 450 oven and bake for 10 minutes.
Serve in a wide bowl or large plate with lots of the sauce, with crusty
French bread on the side and a few bottles of white wine.
This recipe takes longer to type than you'll spend in the kitchen. It's
fool-proof. I've served it a hundred times to guests, and always get raves.
*****
I have made barbeque shrimp many many times. I usually do it when I want to
impress some visiting Northern relatives. Here is how I do it.
Buy the large shrimp (Prawns), as big as you can find. Leave the heads on.
This is where the fat is and this is what makes the sauce sing. Wash them
real good and then make sure to dry them. I like to leave them on newspaper
for awhile to make sure they dry out completely. Any water left in the
shrimp will affect the sauce.
Heat the oven to 350. Lay the shrimp out in a baking dish in one layer only.
Cover with bits of cut up butter or margarine. I use about 4 sticks per full
pan of shrimp. Now the secret. Cover the butter and the shrimp with a layer
of black pepper about 1/4 inch thick. I know it sounds like overkill here,
but this is sooooooo good. Don't hold back on the pepper. Bake in the over
for about 15 to 20 min until the shell of the shrimp comes away from the
meat. Occasionally baste with some of the butter sauce.
Make sure to have on hand plenty of beer, french bread to dip in the sauce
and napkins. Enjoy!!
*****
Here's a variation on the theme from Emeril Lagasse's cookbook. All
the text below is from the book:
Andre's Barbecued Shrimp and Homemade Biscuits
Makes 4 main-course servings or 6 first-course servings.
This is a new twist on an old New Orleans sacred cow, which I had
the audacity to tamper with. I decided my version was good enough
to be a signature dish for the restaurant; but I was so busy putting
the restaurant together, I didn't have time to refine it for consumer
consumption. So I turned it over to my friend and sous chef, Andre
Begnaud, who edited and retested it until it was just right for
Emeril's. Today it's one of the most popular dishes on the menu,
served as an appetizer or a main course with perfect bite-size
Southern biscuits.
2 pounds medium-large shrimp in their shells, about 42 shrimp
2 tablespoons Emeril's Creole Seasoning, in all*
16 turns freshly ground black pepper, in all
2 tablespoons olive oil, in all
1/4 cup chopped onions
2 tablespoons minced garlic
3 bay leaves
3 lemons, peeled and sectioned
2 cups water
1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 teaspoon salt
12 mini Buttermilk biscuits**
2 cups heavy cream
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1. Peel the shrimp, leaving only their tails attached. Reserve
the shells, sprinkle the shrimp with 1 tablespoon Creole Seasoning
and 8 turns of the black pepper. Use your hands to coat the shrimp
with the seasoning. Refrigerate the shrimp while you make the
sauce base and biscuits.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large pot over high heat.
When the oil is hot, add the onions and garlic and saute' for
1 minute. Add the reserved shrimp shells, the remaining 1
tablespoon Creole Seasoning, the bay leaves, lemons, water,
Worcestershire, wine, salt, and the remaining 8 turns black
pepper. Stir well and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and
simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from the Heat, allow to cool
for about 15 minutes, and strain into a small saucepan.
There should be about 1 1/2 cups. Place over high heat, bring
to a boil, and cook until thick, syrupy, and dark brown, for
about 15 minutes. Makes about 4 to 5 tablespoons of barbecue
sauce base.
3. Prepare the Buttermilk Biscuits, and keep warm.
4. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet
over high heat. When the oil is hot, add the seasoned shrimp
and saute' them, occaisionally shaking the skillet, for 2
minutes.
5. Add the cream and all of the barbecue base. Stir and
simmer for 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the shrimp to a warm
platter with tongs and whisk the butter into the sauce.
Remove from heat. Makes about 2 cups.
6. To serve, allow 1/2 cup of sauce, about 10 shrimp, and
3 biscuits each; for 6 servings, 1/3 cup sauce, about 7 shrimp,
and 2 biscuits.
*Emeril's Creole Seasoning
Makes about 2/3 cup
2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried leaf oregano
1 tablespoon dried leaf thyme
Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight
jar or container
** Buttermilk Biscuits
Makes 12 mini biscuits
1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
1 teaspoon baking power
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon buttermilk
1. Preheat the oven to 375F. Line a baking sheet with
parchment or wax paper.
2. In a bowl combine the dry ingredients and blend
thoroughly. Cream in the butter with your fingers or a
fork, until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the
buttermilk a little at a time and, using your hands or a
fork, work it in just until it's thoroughly incorporated
and you have a smooth ball of dough. Don't overwork or
overhandle the dough.
3. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough with
a rolling pin to a circle about 7 inches in diameter, 1/2
inch thick. Using a small round cookie cutter or the rim
of a shot glass, press out twelve 1-inch rounds. If you
like, you can reroll the leftover dough to make more, but
the texture of these will be denser than the others.
4. Place the dough rounds on the baking sheet and bake
until golden on top and brown on the bottom, for about
15 minutes. Serve warm.
>From _Emeril's New New Orleans Cooking_ by Emeril Lagasse
& Jessie Tirsch.
NOTE: "Emeril's Creole Seasoning" is *not* a commercial
product. Rather than sell you something this obvious,
Chef Emeril gives you the recipe as one of his essentials
listed in the beginning of the cookbook.
*****
--
|Edward J. Branley |Listowner, New Orleans Mailing List |
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