New Orleans BBQ Style Shrimp

So I've taken quite a hiatus from blog posts. At first it was because I found out I was pregnant and suffered from morning, afternoon, and evening sickness so the thought alone of cooking turned my stomach. Once that passed our summer got crazy with showers, weddings, and trips so I didn't get time to post all the things I was cooking. Things are finally starting to slow down a bit and I can finally post something on here!

A friend of mine recently visited New Orleans and that inspired me to make this DELICIOUS shrimp dish. I love Cajun food, but it can be a bit spicy for me and baby these days. I toned the spice down in this recipe, but feel free to kick it up a notch.

The original recipe came from my buddy Emeril Lagasse. http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/new-orleans-bbq-shrimp-recipe.html

I changed several things to fit my palette better, but feel free to look his up!

Disclaimer: this is a little more time consuming that I anticipated, but well worth it! Don't cut any steps or shorten time because it may not turn out the same.

New Orleans BBQ Style Shrimp
1 1/2 lbs of raw, skin and tail on shrimp
2-3 tbsp of Cajun creole seasoning (see recipe below for homemade Cajun creole seasoning)
2 tbsp olive oil
3 cloves of minced garlic
1 1/2 lemons, peeled and sectioned
1-2 bay leaves
1/4 cup of Worcestershire sauce
1 cup of water
1/4 cup of dry white wine
3/4 cup of heavy cream
1/4 cup of milk
2 tbsp of butter

Cajun Creole Seasoning

2 tbsp paprika
2 tbsp garlic powder
2 tbsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp dried thyme

Mix together in a bowl and set aside. Any extra from this recipe can be stored in pantry for up to a year!

1. Peel the shrimp, but KEEP THE SHELLS.  (sounds strange...but you need them for the sauce later on).
2. Sprinkle the peeled shrimp with 1 1/2 tbsp of the creole seasoning you made and put in the fridge

3. Heat oil in a large pot on the high heat.
4. Saute garlic for about a minute
5. Peel and section 1 1/2 lemons.
5. Add the shrimp shells, 1 1/2 tbsp of creole seasoning, bay leaves, lemons, water, Worcestershire, wine, salt and pepper. Bring this mixture to a boil and stir well.  Reduce heat and simmer for about 30 minutes.

6. Remove from heat and strain into a smaller sauce pan. Let cool for about 15 minutes.
7. Heat over high heat and bring to a boil.  Stir consistently until the mixture is thick and syrupy.  This should take about 10 minutes (this is your BBQ base)...set aside when done.

8. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Once oil is hot, add the seasoned shrimp from the fridge.
9. After about 2-3 minutes add the BBQ base and cream.  Simmer for about 5 minutes with shrimp in it.

10. Remove shrimp and place in a bowl or platter.
11.  Add butter to the sauce left in pan and cook for an additional 2 minutes.  When melted, pour sauce over shrimp.  Serve with a french baguette to soak up all that delicious sauce!

Although it may take a while to prep, this is a delicious recipe and is great for feeding a crowd!