Don’t ask why barbecued shrimp, a New Orleans restaurant favorite, are called barbecued shrimp. No one seems to know.
The traditional version of barbecued shrimp, which was developed at Pascal’s Manale, a restaurant in New Orleans since 1913, features large Gulf shrimp broiled in a black pepper, garlic and butter marinade, and served with French bread for sopping up the spicy sauce.
The shrimp do turn a reddish, bronze color when done, but they aren’t barbecued on a grill or mopped with a tomato-based barbecue sauce as they cook. Hence, the reference to barbecue in the dish’s name is confusing for restaurant customers and new cooks.
After tasting this popular shrimp dish, you won’t care what it’s called. You’ll just want more.
To a cook’s delight, barbecued shrimp are easy to prepare. The only complication in making the wonderful dish is being careful to not overcook the shrimp.
The barbecued shrimp served at Pascal’s Manale features whole shrimp. When a Manale’s customer orders the dish, he or she is given a plastic bib to don before eating because the shrimp swimming in the buttery sauce are served with their heads on and unshelled.
It’s a really messy dish to eat because the diner has to remove the shrimp heads and peel the shrimp, but it has been the signature dish at the Italian-Creole restaurant in uptown New Orleans for many years for good reason: taste.
Whole shrimp supposedly impart more flavor to the sauce. From a consumer’s perspective, when you buy shrimp with heads on, it’s easier to tell if the shrimp are really fresh. The heads fall off as the shrimp get older.
But, when you are cooking at home and for guests, compromises for presentation are sometimes necessary. If you or some of your guests are a little squeamish about pinching off shrimp heads and dealing with long, trailing shrimp whiskers, remove the heads from the shrimp before you cook them. If you are sure the shrimp are fresh, buy them headless to minimize prep time.
If serving barbecued shrimp in a more formal setting, testers suggest completely peeling the shrimp. The dish is far less messy to tackle and still tastes wonderful.
Barbecued Shrimp
1 pound shrimp
3 sticks butter or margarine, melted
2 cloves garlic, minced
Hot sauce, to taste
Paprika
Salt and pepper
1 lime or lemon, sliced
Dash of oregano
1 tablespoon chili sauce
1 cup white wine
To prepare shrimp: Take heads off and with a very sharp knife, slice them down the back and remove black line. Leave shell and tail on. Marinate shrimp for 1 hour or more in the sauce made from the remaining ingredients.
Broil shrimp over charcoal fire turning and basting often. If preferred, bake in a 300 F oven, basting shrimp often with sauce. Baking time about 30 minutes. Do not overcook.
Makes 2 to 4 servings. Recipe from “River Road Recipes I” (Favorite Recipes Press, $17.95).
Broiled Shrimp
2 pounds shrimp
1/2 cup margarine
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon Jamaican Choice Tropical or Pickapeppa pepper sauce
1/4 teaspoon red pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
Wash, peel and de-vein shrimp.
Melt margarine in saucepan. Add lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, pepper sauce, red pepper and salt. Let simmer 5 or 10 minutes. Pour over raw shrimp in 9-by-12-by-2-inch pan. Place on next to lowest rack in oven. Broil 20 minutes, turning shrimp every 5 minutes. Serve shrimp in juice with plenty of hot French bread for “dunking.”
Makes 4 servings. Recipe from “River Road Recipes II” (Favorite Recipes Press, $17.95).
Barbecued Shrimp
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons margarine
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon paprika
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves
1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
1 tablespoon hot pepper sauce
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 pounds unpeeled large shrimp
1/4 cup white wine
In a large, heavy skillet, combine the olive oil, margarine, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, garlic, paprika, bay leaves, rosemary, oregano, basil, hot sauce, salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat until the sauce begins to boil.
Add the shrimp and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the wine and cook until the shrimp are done, another 5 to 7 minutes.
Serve the shrimp with the sauce.
Makes 4 to 6 servings. Recipe from “Trim & Terrific Home Entertaining the Easy Way” by Holly Clegg (Running Press, $8).
Barbecued Shrimp
2 pounds large shrimp, 20 to 25 count per pound
French bread
Green onions for garnish
Marinade:
1/2 cup margarine, melted
4 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
6 thin slices of a medium white or yellow onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoons Pickapeppa pepper sauce
1 teaspoon Tabasco garlic pepper sauce
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
Wash, peel and de-vein shrimp.
Mix together marinade ingredients and pour marinade over shrimp, cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Place shrimp and marinade in a greased 9-by-12- or 9-by-13-inch baking pan. Bake in 350 F oven, turning shrimp often for about 10 to 15 minutes or until shrimp are starting to lose translucency.
Raise oven temperature to broil and broil to achieve desired reddish, bronze color. Remove from oven, garnish with green onions and serve immediately with slices of hot French bread for dipping into the sauce.
Makes 4 to 6 servings. Recipe by Tommy C. Simmons.
Tips on making barbecued shrimp
• Buy medium to large shrimp; 20- to 25-count per pound is a good size. If you can buy heads-on, do so to ensure that you are getting fresh shrimp.
• Two pounds of cooked barbecued shrimp will serve 6 adults since the shrimp is served with French bread for dipping into the sauce.
• If possible, buy wild Gulf of Mexico-caught white shrimp, which have not been treated with sodium tripolyphosphate, a preservative that can affect the taste and texture of fresh shrimp.
• Be careful not to overcook shrimp. Shrimp cook quickly and are tender and cooked through in 20 to 25 minutes at 300 F. However, don’t rely on specified cooking times.
• Leftovers can be refrigerated and reheated briefly in a microwave.
— Associated Press
Barbecued shrimp is a New Orleans restaurant favorite with a misleading name. The shrimp do turn a reddish, bronze color when done, but they aren’t barbecued on a grill or mopped with a tomato-based barbecue sauce as they cook.
