Mr. B's BBQ shrimp recipe? (New Orleans style)

[Torolover]

I was at NOLA and had Mr. B's incredible BBQ Shrimp. I found Mr. B has the recipe online. Anyone make this recipe or a similiar one? Does it taste as good or better then the restaurant?

[gmm]

I was on a bbq shrimp kick for a while and had to force myself to stop for the sake of my waistline. But then I found this recipe by Cooking Light that has considerably less butter which I think tastes very similar to the full fat recipes. I shortcut the individual spices and use creole seasoning.

http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/rec...

[nomadchowwoman]

SinceBushwickgirl and I have been talking about our versions of BBQ Shrimp (with beer) downthread, and I'm home now, I'll copy my recipe, which is based on Paul Prudhomme's recipe though I've tweaked it, cutting the butter somewhat and toning down the heat a bit.

BBQ Shrimp
serves 2

8-12 very lg. shrimp, preferably w/heads

Seasoning mix:
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp dried thyme leaves
1/4 tsp dried rosemary
1/4 tsp oregano

4 T butter, in all
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 c shrimp (or other seafood) stock [clam juice is a good substitute]
2 T beer

Prepare shrimp by rinsing well and removing the portion of the head from the eyes forward (but leaving the protruding spine). I then slit the shell along the top, from head to tail, with kitchen shears, so that I can remove the vein, but you can skip this step if the vein doesn't bother you. (Note: it is usually served with the vein).

In medium skillet, over med. high heat, melt 2 1/2 T butter, garlic, worcestershire sauce, and seasoning mix. Raise heat to high, and add shrimp and cook for another 2 minutes. (Prudhomme recommends shaking the pan rather than stirring, but I haven't found that it matters that much.) Add remaining 1 1/2 Tbutter and stock and cook for another 2 minutes. Add beer and cook for another minute. remove from heat. Serve immediately, with bread for sopping up the sauce.

*******
The BBQ Shrimp I grew up eating was my dad's version, which he cooked in the oven. It was one of the very few things he cooked, and we all loved it. I don't have a specific recipe, and he never measured, so what follows are my estimates. Season as you see fit; the main thing you want to take care with is making sure you don't overcook the shrimp. (My mom now makes this, and she finds it easier to control by cooking it in a large saute pan. She also uses half butter and half olive oil and adds some white vermouth.)

My Dad's BBQ Shrimp
Serves 6-8

Preheat oven to 400.

Put the following ingredients into a lg. baking dish or pan:

2 sticks butter
1 1/2 - 2 T. chopped garlic
Several sprigs fresh rosemary (or 1 T. dried )
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 tsp. worcestershire sauce
3 lemons in all, 1 sliced, and 2 halved, their juice squeezed into baking dish
2 lbs. large shrimp, in shell, heads removed, and rinsed well

Put dish into oven. After a few minutes, when butter has melted, stir shrimp and seasonings to mix well. Cook just until shrimp begin to pull away from their shells, another 8-12 minutes, stirring every few minutes and checking to make sure they're not overcooking.

[bushwickgirl]

Oh, thanks so much for posting these, ncw. Gives me one more very good reason to try both versions soon. The adapted PP recipe is pretty close to what I used to do, except with more butter and beer.;-)).

[nomadchowwoman]

How coud More Butter and More Beer be Bad???

[janetms383]

Here is my recipe:

New Orleans Bar-B-Que Shrimp
Yield: 2 servings
• 1 lemon sliced
• Sprinkle of salt
• Sprinkle of rosemary, dried or fresh
• Sprinkle of dried oregano
• Sprinkle of ground cayenne pepper, plus more as needed
• 1 pound raw, unpeeled shrimp; I like 16-20
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine
• 1/4 cup barbecue sauce
• 6 cloves garlic, peeled, pressed or minced
For serving: Sliced French bread

Procedure:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place lemons in bottom of 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with salt, rosemary, oregano and cayenne. Place shrimp on top and sprinkle lightly with salt and cayenne to taste (I use a heavy hand with the cayenne).
2. In saucepan over medium heat, melt butter or margarine. Stir in barbecue sauce and garlic. Pour over shrimp and bake in preheated oven for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until shrimp turn dark pink.
3. Ladle into two bowls, making sure to add all sauce. Serve with lots of French bread for dipping into the delicious sauce.

[roro1831]

That's the first time I've ever seen bbq sauce in New Orleans bbq shrimp. lol Not that there is anything wrong with that, it sounds good.

[bushwickgirl]

I like to put a little beer in my sauce, is that cool? I never use bbq sauce, though, although it does sound like a good addition.

[roro1831]

Anything is cool as long as you like it, that's what matters.

[janetms383]

it does taste really good :-)

[Uncle Bob]

BBQ sauce?? The tomato based, gooey BBQ sauce? That's ...That's just unbelievable!!

[bushwickgirl]

As in unbelieveably, um, not appropriate? Or a really great idea? I have a feeling it's the former...what about beer, is that ok?

[nomadchowwoman]

Well, let's just say, it's not traditional. It's pretty well established in New Orleans that "BBQ Shrimp" is a misnomer. There are a lot of recipes floating around out there, but they don't usually involve either actual BBQing or BBQ sauce (which is not to say that it couldn't be tasty w/the addition of some BBQ sauce--but, then, you get into the question of what we're talking about when we talk about BBQ sauce . . .)
I do use beer in mine (based on a recipe from Paul Prudhomme); I'm not sure that's authentic either (but it is delicious). What's almost always in the "traditional" recipe is lots of butter, lots of garlic, pepper, worcestershire, quite often some rosemary and bay leaf, sometimes olive oil, sometimes seafood stock.

[bushwickgirl]

Ok, thanks, Paul Prudhomme, that's where I must have got the beer addition idea from. I've been making the shrimp with beer for 20+ years now.

[nomadchowwoman]

Yes, his cookbook w/that recipe is at least 25 years old. I love that version, but since PP is really a "Cajun" chef (who came to NO) and "BBQ Shrimp" is considered a New Orleans classic, his interpretation is slightly different. It still tastes very close to the "original" but w/an extra layer of flavor, imo. I actually like it better than MR. B's version (which I do really like), but if I said that on the New Orleans board, I'd probably get stoned (and not in a good way).

[bushwickgirl]

If it wasn't so hot here today, I'd make the shrimp for dinner but it's over 90° with 50% humidity, and we're heat wimps in NYC, without A/C. I'm not turning on the stove for anything. I love the herb and garlic butter for dipping the bread, probably more than the shrimp.

I used to make this dish in a Cajun/Creole restaruant I worked in, back in 1990, it was very popular, and I'd get a bottle of Dixie lager from the bar (no Abita available back then) for the dish, a bottle for each time I made the dish throughout the night, a little beer for the shrimp, and the rest of the beer for me...worked out very well.

[roro1831]

Funny you should mention the 50% humidity and saying people are heat wimps up this way. When I first moved up here and had the first summer, people were complaining about how hot and humid it was......piece of cake compared to back home in New Orleans.

I wish someone up here made it, finding head on shrimp can be a challenge up here. And my wife is freaked out by the head on shrimp, but she loves dipping the bread in the sauce. I might have to fire up the grill and make some.

[bushwickgirl]

"piece of cake compared to back home in New Orleans."

Yup, having been there, I know what it's like; the humidity is a killer. We're just weather wimps here. Babies. And NYer's think it's cold here in the winter, they should take a trip to Maine in February, or even May. Ha.

We used to get head on shrimp from Maine in season when I lived in CT, but I rarely see them in NY.

I read a short newspaper article this morning about how shrimp testing in the Gulf for petroleum contaminents is widespread now and encompasses more types of seafood than ever. The majority of shrimp in the NY market comes frozen from Asia or Central/South America.

Sadly, the shrimp coming from the Gulf into the US market has diminished to nothing.

[janetms383]

sorry if you're offended, but it's 1/4 c and cuts down on the butter. And, it is DELICIOUS!!!!!

[rfgiersch]

MrB's website has the recipe. I just came back from there and had the shrimp - delicious - crazy good but oh my... I don't think I'll be able to have it more often than 1x or so a year given the butter content.

[Torolover]

Anyone else have a good recipe for New Orleans BBQ Shrimp?