I absolutely LOVE traditional creole cuisine and have been craving BBQ Shrimp & Crawfish for a while now.  When we lived in Pioneer Square, it was very easy to pop over to Marcela’s Creole Cookery for a quick bite and a couple Hurricanes – 2 max for me :0) – but since the move we haven’t made it down there.  Crawfish is no longer in season so I thought I would try preparing BBQ Shrimp for some of our weekend guests.

Let the shrimp marinate for at least 3 hours adding lemon slices on top for a bit of citrus!

First, don’t let the title confuse you, there is not a BBQ needed to make this classic NOLA (New Orleans, Louisiana) dish.  Also, you will definitely want to let the shrimp marinate for at least 3 hours – overnight is OK too- so that you take full advantage of the flavors.

What you need:

  • 2lbs fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 6 cloves garlic, minced
  • 4 tbsp chili sauce
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp worcestershire
  • 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 3 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
  • 2 tsp cayenne pepper (more if you like SPICE)
  • 2 tsp liquid smoke (hickory flavored)
  • 1-2 tsp paprika
  • 1-2 tsp oregano
  • 1/2 tsp Tabasco sauce
  • 1 baguette, sliced for dipping

Add all the ingredients in a saucepan and let it simmer for 8-10 minutes.  Remove the pan from the heat and allow it to cool.

Place the shrimp in a casserole dish and pour the sauce evenly on top.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and then bake the shrimp for 15 to 20 minutes.

Serve immediately with the baguette and enjoy!

Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes and serve immediately with a sliced baguette!

I am going to give this a try again this coming week and make a couple adjustments….I want to make my own chili sauce because I think it is a key component in the overall taste– Heinz doesn’t cut it.  Also, I am in search of an underlying smokey flavor so using smoked paprika might help with that a bit.