The first time I tasted New Orleans-style barbecue shrimp, I was confused. It had none of the smoky char associated with food off a grill or smoker. And that’s because it’s not actually barbecue. Invented in the 1950s at Pascal’s Manale restaurant, its name comes from its reddish hue that’s akin to the smoke ring seen on traditional low-and-slow barbecued meats.
Nomenclature aside, barbecue shrimp are truly delicious. They’re bathed in a buttery, heavily spiced sauce that’s perfect for mopping up with crusty French bread. And, since shrimp cook so quickly, it’s an easy dish to modify for a 5:30 Challenge recipe.
The only shortcut you’ll need is to swap in premade Creole seasoning for the long list of spices found in most recipes. It’ll bring most of the heat and aromatics required; simply sauté minced garlic in butter along with the spice blend and add a heavy pour of Worcestershire sauce for a hit of umami. (If you’re watching your salt intake, consider using salt-free Creole seasoning and reduced sodium Worcestershire sauce.)
This recipe employs a simple culinary technique: mounting butter to form an emulsified sauce. After the shrimp are cooked, remove the skillet from the heat and whisk in butter, one tablespoon at a time, until it melts and blends into a silky sauce. Be sure to take your time to prevent the sauce from breaking. (And don’t worry if it does separate. You’ll still get all the same flavor; the texture of the sauce will not be as smooth.)
You can choose to cook shell-on shrimp for a more traditional take that requires a little more work to eat, or make it easy with pre-peeled shrimp. Shell-on shrimp will give the sauce a bit more flavor and will take an extra minute or two to cook.
New Orleans-Style Barbecue Shrimp
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, divided
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon Creole seasoning
- 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 pounds deveined jumbo shrimp, shell-on or peeled
- Juice from 1 lemon
- Hot sauce, for serving
- Crusty French bread, for serving
- Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the butter is foamy, add the garlic and Creole seasoning. Cook, stirring, until aromatic, about 30 seconds. Add the Worcestershire sauce and water and bring to a simmer.
- Add the shrimp, and cook, stirring occasionally, until they just turn pink, 2 to 3 minutes for peeled shrimp or 3 to 4 minutes for shell-on shrimp. Remove from the heat.
- Add the remaining 4 tablespoons butter to the sauce in the pan, 1 tablespoon at a time, whisking to combine fully after each addition. Whisk in the juice of the lemon.
- Serve immediately with hot sauce and bread for mopping up the sauce.
Serves 4.
Per serving without bread: 286 calories (percent of calories from fat, 56), 31 grams protein, 16 grams carbohydrates, 6 grams total sugars, trace fiber, 27 grams total fat (15 grams saturated), 541 milligrams cholesterol, 2,870 milligrams sodium.
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