Emeril's New Orleans-Style Barbecue Shrimp

Foodcollection/Getty Images Photo
Foodcollection/Getty Images

YIELD 4 to 6 servings

Adapted from Emeril's New New Orleans Cooking, William Morrow Publishers, New York, 1993

INGREDIENTS

For the shrimp:
2 pounds medium (21‑24 count) raw shrimp in their shells
1 tablespoon Creole Seasoning
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup Barbecue Sauce Base, recipe follows
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup  heavy cream
For the Barbecue Sauce Base:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped yellow onions
whole cloves garlic
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
bay leaves
1 tablespoon Creole seasoning
1/2 cup dry white wine
lemons, peeled, white pith removed, and quartered
2 cups Shrimp Stock, recipe follows
1 cup Worcestershire sauce 

PREPARATION:

For the Shrimp:

  1. Peel and devein the shrimp, leaving only their tails attached. (Reserve the shells, if desired, to make the shrimp stock.) Season the shrimp with the Creole seasoning, salt and black pepper, tossing to coat evenly. Cover and refrigerate while making the sauce base and biscuits.
  2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the seasoned shrimp and cook, stirring, until they begin to turn pink, about 2 minutes. Add the cream and barbecue sauce. Reduce the heat to medium-high and simmer, stirring, until reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Transfer the shrimp to a platter with tongs.
  3. Place 2 or 3 biscuits on each plate. Divide the shrimp among the biscuits and top each serving with 1/3 to 1/2 cup of the sauce. Serve immediately.

For the Barbecue Sauce Base:

  1. Heat the olive oil in a medium, heavy saucepan over medium high heat. Add the onions, both whole and chopped garlic, salt, pepper, and bay leaves, and cook, stirring, until the onions are soft, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle in the Creole seasoning and continue to cook another 30 seconds. Add the white wine and the lemons, pressing down on them with a spoon to extract their juices. Add the shrimp stock and Worcestershire sauce and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the sauce is reduced to 1/2-cup, about 1 hour and 15 minutes.
  2. Strain the sauce through a fine mesh strainer, pressing on the solids with the back of a spoon. Set aside until needed. (The sauce base can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days, or frozen for up to 2 months.)

    Editor's Note: Consult Treehugger's Best of Green Winner Monterey Bay Aquarium's Endangered Seafood Guide whenever making seafood choices.

This recipe appears in: Shellfish