Toast Tuesday: New Orleans style Barbeque Shrimp

When I was a kid, my favorite foods were mac and cheese and shrimp scampi. The first time I was served scampi with the heads on, I didn’t eat shrimp for a year. I was a little horrified
Fast forward a few years and a trip to New Orleans. We went to Pascal Manale’s, home of Barbeque Shrimp. There is no grill involved in this BBQ, just lots of butter, garlic, and bread to dip. This was a hedonistic mess of goodness sautéed and served family style. This recipe was developed in 1953 and is one of the city’s most copied creations.

They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. There are dozens of variation and takes on this recipe. My favorite was one we had a few years later at Slice Pizzeria on Magazine St. It was the garlic and butter plus a huge amount of herbs that reminded me of a chimichurri sauce. The herbs really brightened up the heaviness of the butter and took this dish to a whole new level.

This Sunday we had a Mardi Gras dinner with a bunch of friends with everyone making their Nola favorites. I’m happy to report my barbeque shrimp were divine, and the dish was scraped, sopped, and mopped clean. I will definitely be making this again, and very soon!

Here’s what I did:

New Orleans Style Barbecue Shrimp Recipe

1 Sticks of Unsalted Butter
2 Tbsp Garlic, minced
1-2 Tbsp Fresh Thyme, chopped, plus more for finish
1-2 Tbsp Fresh Oregano, chopped, plus more for finish
1-2 Tbsp Flat leaf parsley, chopped, plus more for finish
Juice of 1 Lemon
about ¼ cup Louisiana Hot Sauce
about ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
generous dusting of white pepper (I’m allergic to black pepper)
generous dusting of Tony Chachere’s
1 Tbsp Kosher Salt)
2 lbs tails on shrimp
½ cup Abita Amber Beer (optional for deglazing. I didn’t have any)

Start with 2 tablespoons butter in a medium hot skillet. Add the garlic and sauté until slightly browned. Add the fresh herbs and cook for 2 minutes. Deglaze with the beer if you have it, otherwise add lemon juice and reduce by half.

Add Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, pepper, salt, Tony’s and shrimp. Toss to coat. Put lid on skillet and sauté shrimp for about 5 minutes or until done. Do not over-cook!

Chop up thyme, oregano, and parsley so you have about a cup of herbs combined. When Shrimp are done, add remaining stick of butter and stir in, followed by cup of fresh herbs. Serve with good crusty French bread or dinner rolls for sopping.

Laissez les bon temps rouler!