Barbecued Shrimp Brushed with Creole Butter
Submitted by w5uuo
Shell-on shrimp stuffed with herb-loaded Creole compound butter made from garlic, shallots, oregano, thyme, and three peppers, then grilled until pink and sizzling. New Orleans flavor in 30 minutes.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
10 minREADY
30 minCher, this right here is how they do shrimp down in the Big Easy.
You snip the shells, devein the shrimp, then tuck a garlicky, herby compound butter right between the shell and the meat. Eight cloves of garlic, four shallots, fresh oregano, fresh thyme, Worcestershire, and a triple hit of black, white, and cayenne pepper all get blitzed into softened butter.
On the grill, that Creole butter melts inside the shell, basting the shrimp from the inside out while the shell protects the meat from drying out.
Six minutes. That’s all it takes. The shells turn pink, the butter sizzles, and you’ve got a plate of the most flavorful grilled shrimp you’ll ever put in your mouth.
Chef Tips
- Keep the shells on. They trap the melting butter against the shrimp and add flavor as they char on the grill.
- Prep the shrimp up to 8 hours ahead and refrigerate. The butter firms up in the cold and stays in place until it hits the heat.
- Use a teaspoon to push the compound butter between the shell and meat. Work gently so you don’t crack the shell.
- Have plenty of crusty French bread on the table. You’ll want something to soak up the puddle of Creole butter on the plate.
- Squeeze fresh lemon over the shrimp right before eating. The acid brightens everything.
Ingredients
Directions
Using small, sharp scissors, snip along the top ridge of each shrimp shell.
Using a small knife, cut into the top surface of the shrimp to reveal the vein, then rinse it away.
In a food processor, mince the garlic, shallots, oregano and thyme.
Add the butter, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and peppers and process until thoroughly blended.
Fit the Creole Butter between the shell and shrimp and refrigerate.
Set aside the lemon wedges.
The recipe up to this point can be completed 8 hours in advance of cooking.
Preheat a gas grill to medium.
When the grill is preheated, brush it with oil, then place the shrimp on the grill.
When the shells turn pink on the underside, turn the shrimp over.
Cut into a shrimp to test for doneness.
The shrimp are done when the shells turn pink and the shrimp meat has lost its raw inside color, about 6 minutes.
Alternatively, preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.
Then turn the oven setting to broil and broil the shrimp 4 inches from the heat for about 6 minutes.
Serve the shrimp immediately on 4 heated dinner plates accompanied by lemon wedges and napkins.
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