“Shrimp is the fruit of the sea. You can barbecue it, boil it, broil it, bake it, sauté it. There’s, um, shrimp kebabs, shrimp creole, shrimp gumbo, pan fried, deep fried, stir fried. There’s pineapple shrimp and lemon shrimp, coconut shrimp, pepper shrimp, shrimp soup, shrimp stew, shrimp salad, shrimp and potatoes, shrimp burger, shrimp sandwich… That’s, that’s about it.” ~ Bubba Blue from Forrest Gump
I’m sure we could add a few more recipes to his repertoire, but today I decided to give the first mentioned in Bubba’s famous list a try. I found this Barbecued Shrimp recipe in Fine Cooking’s Apr/May 2014 edition which I slightly adapted. This recipe isn’t technically barbecue ~ no grill needed. It is indeed delicious and perfect for the upcoming Mardi Gras celebrations. Be sure to have a nice loaf of crusty bread around to sop up the buttery goodness of this sauce.
Unfortunately, I decided to blog this last minute and didn’t have a nice set up for the pictures. My fear is that the pictures might not entice you to give this recipe a try. That would be a disaster in my book because this recipe is so good that I resented having to share with my husband. As soon as I tasted it, my first thought was ~ I should have made more. Another wonderful reason to give this recipe a try is that you get so much flavor with so little time and effort. This recipe comes together in a flash. If you like shrimp, you will love this recipe.
Ingredients
1 medium lemon
1 cup salted butter
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp chopped garlic
4 bay leaves
1 tsp sweet paprika
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 ½ tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
24 colossal shrimp (12 to 15 per lb.), raw with shells on
Instructions
Cut the lemon in half crosswise, and juice it.
Press each half flat on a cutting board, and then cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips.
Melt the butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat.
Reduce the heat to medium low and add the lemon juice and peel, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, bay leaves, paprika, cayenne, salt, ground pepper, and cracked pepper.
Stir and simmer for about 5 minutes.
Add the shrimp and increase the heat to medium.
Cook until the shrimp are beginning to turn pink, 4 to 5 minutes.
Cover the skillet and remove it from the heat.
Let sit for 15 minutes so that the shrimp can absorb the flavors and finish cooking, stirring every 5 minutes or so.
Enjoy!
Barbecued Shrimp
Ingredients
- 1 Medium Lemon
- 1 cup Salted Butter
- 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 Tablespoon Chopped Garlic
- 4 Bay Leaves
- 1 teaspoon Sweet Paprika
- ¼ teaspoons Cayenne Pepper
- 1-½ teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoons Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- ½ teaspoons Freshly Cracked Black Pepper
- 24 Colossal Shrimp 12 To 15 Per Lb., Raw Unshelled
Instructions
- Cut the lemon in half crosswise and juice it. Press each lemon half flat on a cutting board, and then cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips.
- Melt the butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium low and add the lemon juice and peel, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, bay leaves, paprika, cayenne, salt, ground pepper, and cracked pepper. Stir and simmer for about 5 minutes.
- Add the shrimp and increase the heat to medium. Cook until the shrimp are beginning to turn pink, 4 to 5 minutes. Cover the skillet and remove it from the heat.
- Let sit for 15 minutes so that the shrimp can absorb the flavors and finish cooking, stirring every 5 minutes or so.
I love food! I read cookbooks like they were novels. I get giddy in a farmer’s market. I find a chicken in a pot surrounded by carrots, onion, and celery a thing of beauty. My favorite sound is Mmmmmmmm!
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