By Tommy C. Simmons
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
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.
Their dismay could be further aggravated by discovering, in recent cookbooks, recipes for barbecued shrimp that do include barbecue sauce in the ingredients and are cooked on a grill rather than in an oven or on a stovetop.
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 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 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 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, our recipe testers suggest completely peeling the shrimp. The dish is far less messy to tackle and still tastes wonderful. Even Pascal's Manale serves a version of peeled barbecued shrimp on po' boy bread at lunch.
Barbecued shrimp is a dish that everyone wants
to sample. Try it and you'll see why. Here are several
recipes.
Barbecued Shrimp
2 pounds large shrimp,
20 to 25 count per pound
French bread
Green onions for garnish
Marinade:
½ cup margarine, melted
4 Tbsps. olive oil
3 Tbsps. lemon juice
3 Tbsps. Worcestershire sauce
6 thin slices of a medium white
or yellow onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. Pickapeppa pepper sauce
1 tsp. Tabasco garlic pepper sauce
¼ tsp. red pepper
½ tsp. black pepper
¼ tsp. salt
Wash, peel and devein 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-degree 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 shrimp 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 four to six servings.
- Tommy C. Simmons
Broiled Shrimp
2 pounds shrimp
½ cup margarine
3 Tbsps. lemon juice
2 Tbsps. Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp. Jamaican Choice
Tropical or Pickapeppa pepper sauce
¼ tsp. red pepper
½ tsp. salt
Wash, peel and devein 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 four servings.
- From "River Road Recipes II"
Shrimp Manale
½ cup butter
2 Tbsps. Worcestershire sauce
Freshly ground black pepper
8 to 10 unpeeled, fresh jumbo shrimp
Lemon juice (optional)
Melt butter in saucepan. Add Worcestershire sauce and plenty of pepper. Allow sauce to cool.
Rinse shrimp lightly but do not dry. Place in baking dish. Pour sauce over shrimp, sprinkle with lemon juice, if desired, and place in 400-degree oven 20 minutes. Turn shrimp. Raise oven temperature and broil 3 minutes. Serve hot in a bowl with the juices, accompanied by French bread to "sop up" the sauce.
Makes two servings.
- From "Southern Sideboards"
Barbecue Shrimp
¼ cup olive oil
2 Tbsps. margarine
¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
3 Tbsps. lemon juice
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 Tbsp. paprika
2 bay leaves
1 tsp. dried rosemary leaves
1 tsp. dried oregano leaves
1 tsp. dried basil leaves
1 Tbsp. hot pepper sauce
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 pounds unpeeled large shrimp
¼ 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 four to six servings.
- From "Trim & Terrific Home Entertaining the Easy Way" by Holly Clegg
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 Tbsp. 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 degree oven, basting shrimp often with sauce. Baking time about 30 minutes. Do not overcook.
Makes two to four servings.
- From "River Road Recipes"
