New Orleans BBQ Shrimp

One of my favorite types of meal to cook is recreating from a favorite. It is so fun and you get the immediate satisfaction from the labor and love you put into the meal and you surely saved a few dollars by doing it at home. My husband requested one of his favorite dishes from an Emeril Lagasse restaurant. He rarely requests anything that isn't his pie or his oatmeal bars, so I knew I had to make it.

This meal was a little more in-depth than I anticipated, but it was worth every bite. It was delicious and I had one happy husband, which was the most important thing. We cooked this meal together one Saturday night and enjoyed our time together just as much as the food. This is definitely a meal that you need to make for the special someone in your life, sometime when you want to show a little extra love or attention, Mother's Day, Father's Day, a birthday. It takes some time, but is so worth the end results.

This recipe makes enough for 4, if serving as the main entree, I am sure you would still have some leftover.
Source: Emeril Lagasse

Ingredients:
3 lbs. of Large Gulf Shrimp, in the shell
2 tablespoons of Creole Seasoning, homemade or store-bought
2 tablespoons of Olive Oil
1/4 cup of Onions, chopped
2 tablespoons of Garlic, minced
3 Bay Leaves
3 Lemons, peeled and cut into fourths
2 cups of Water
1/2 cup of Worcestershire Sauce
1/4 cup of Dry White Wine
1/4 teaspoon of Salt
1/4 teaspoon of Cracked Black Pepper
1/2 cup of Heavy Cream
2 tablespoons of Butter
Bread or Biscuits for serving with

Directions:
First, peel the shrimp and only leave the tail on, reserve the shells and place the shrimp in a large ziplock bag sprinkle one tablespoon of the creole seasoning in the bag and shake around, coating all of the shrimp. Place the bag in the refrigerator until ready for use.

Now, heat one tablespoon of oil in a large pot over high heat. When the oil is heated, add the onions and garlic and sauté for minute, add reserved shells, remaining tablespoon of creole seasoning, the bay leaves, lemons, water, worcestershire, wine, salt, and pepper to the pot. Stir well and bring to a boil, when the pot is boiling, reduce the heat to low and let simmer for 30 minutes. After the 30 minutes has elapsed, remove the pot from heat and let cool for 15 minutes.

When the pot has cooled, strain the liquid into a small saucepan, there should be about 1 1/2 cups. Place the saucepan over high heat and bring to a boil, cook until the liquid is dark and syrupy, this should take about 15 minutes and will only make about 4-5 tablespoons, which is the barbecue base.

Next, heat the remaining one tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over high heat, when the oil is hot add the shrimp and sauté them for 2 minutes, occasionally shaking the skillet. Add the cream and the barbecue base and cook for 3 more minutes. Remove the shrimp to a large platter and whisk the butter into the sauce, drizzle the sauce over the shrimp and place biscuits around the platter.

Enjoy!

Happy Cooking,
The Barbee Housewife