NO FORKS REQUIRED!

One of my favorite restaurants in New Orleans has long been Mr. B's Bistro. It's owned by one of the famous Brennan family members & is well known for it's wonderful creole creations.    

http://www.mrbsbistro.com/

 Mr. B's Bistro, New Orleans, LA

My favorite dish there has always been the BBQ shrimp.    If you're not familiar with BBQ shrimp, the name is misleading.  There is nothing "BBQ" about it.   It's basically jumbo shrimp sauteed in a wonderful, creamy "gravy" type sauce filled with delicious creole seasonings.   The headless shrimp are cooked in their jackets & you eat this dish with your hands.   Not only are the shrimp delish, but the BEST part of the dish is "sopping" the sauce with wonderful, crispy french bread!   As we say down here, C'est si bon!

Mr. B's actually shares some of it's famous recipes on it's website.  I finally got around to cooking it at home.  I was NOT disappointed!

 

I'd like to share this wonderful, easy to make recipe.   It literally takes less than 20 minutes from start to finish & the BEST part about it is NO FORKS REQUIRED!!  Just make sure to load up on paper towels!  The shrimp are served with the jackets on, sitting in the sauce.

New Orleans Barbequed Shrimp

Don’t break out your grill for this dish. Here in New Orleans, barbecued shrimp means sautéed shrimp in Worcestershire-spiked butter sauce. We serve these shrimp with heads and tails on, so you need to dig in to enjoy. I highly recommend a bib.

We are famous for our barbecued shrimp, and with reason. The biggest trick to making this taste like ours is to not hold back on the butter. The three sticks called for are enough to scare you into cholesterol shock, but are key to the flavor and consistency of the sauce. Another tip to keep in mind: to emulsify the sauce, be sure to add a little butter at a time while stirring rapidly. And don’t overcook the shrimp or they’ll become tough and hard to peel.

• 16 jumbo shrimp (12 per pound, about 1 1/2 pounds), with heads and unpeeled
• 1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
• 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons cracked black pepper
• 2 teaspoons Creole seasoning
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cubed
• French bread as accompaniment

In a large skillet combine shrimp, Worcestershire, lemon juice, black peppers, Creole seasoning, and garlic and cook over moderately high heat until shrimp turn pink, about 1 minute on each side. Reduce heat to moderate and stir in butter, a few cubes at a time, stirring constantly and adding more only when butter is melted. Remove skillet from heat. Place shrimp in a bowl and pour sauce over top. Serve with French bread for dipping.

Yield: 4 appetizers or 2 entrees

http://www.tonyseafood.com/

First, find some fresh jumbo shrimp.   I'm blessed to live in south Louisiana where fresh, gulf shrimp is easy to find.  One of the places that makes me the happiest, is a Baton Rouge landmark called Tony's Seafood.  Tony's is a one-stop shop for all things seafood.  A family owned business since 1959, it not only carries every type of the freshest, local seafood, but it also has a wonderful deli.  

It sells seafood from "LIVE" to "FRIED"!   It was my first stop.  

I bought 4 lbs of fresh gulf JUMBO shrimp.  Not because I need 4 lbs for this recipe, but because I NEVER leave Tony's without a little extra for later!  (Hint:  Many times the XL shrimp are almost as large as the Jumbo & usually around $2 per pound cheaper.   I usually mix it 1/2 XL & 1/2 Jumbo, unless there is a significant difference in size.)  

Then I gathered the rest of the ingredients together.   

IF you have a black iron skillet, this is a GREAT way to cook this recipe.   I doubled the recipe so I used 2 skillets.  It cooks the shrimp more evenly if they each can sit on the bottom of the skillet.

Let me forewarn you, this is a dish that would make Paula Deen proud!  It's loaded with REAL butter.    Make sure to use unsalted & don't skimp on this part.   The butter is what gives this dish such a rich flavor.   Read the instructions on adding the butter slowly in the recipe. 

Also, be careful NOT to overcook the shrimp.  It only takes about 1 minute to cook.  Flip over as soon as they "pink up".   Here is a picture of what they will look like.  I've flipped 1/2 the pan.  

Left side not flipped yet.  Right side flipped over.

The result is this wonderfully delightful creole dish. 

 

Last nite, we enjoyed breaking bread with our middle son, Garrett & his friend Ian.   We shared great food, lively conversation & some fresh french bread from Wayne's Bakery, another local treasure.  

Cut each slice of bread at an angle on one end to stand in each bowl!  It stars soaking up the sauce & makes a beautiful presentation.

Enjoy this dish with some great beer.  We paired it with one of our favorite local brews, Abita Amber.    

This is my sweet hubby, Gary, enjoying his dinner!

 C'est si bon!!

Take good care,

Cindy