Emeril Lagasse’s New Orleans-Style Barbecue Shrimp
If you have ever visited the Big Easy, you know that “New Orleans BBQ Shrimp” does not involve a grill, nor does it use a sweet, tomato-based barbecue sauce. Instead, it is an iconic, deeply savory, and aggressively seasoned dish where shrimp are swam in a rich, buttery, and heavily spiced Worcestershire sauce.
This particular recipe is a true culinary treasure. Created by iconic Chef Emeril Lagasse 37 years ago for the opening of Emeril’s Restaurant, it relies on what he calls a “magical extraction.” You start by taking the discarded shrimp shells and slow-simmering them with lemon, garlic, and whole peppercorns until the liquid reduces into a thick, concentrated, umami-bomb of a stock. When finished with heavy cream and butter, this “magical” base creates a luxurious sauce that you will want to drink straight from the bowl!
Pro-Tips for Restaurant-Quality Shrimp
To master this iconic Louisiana dish, keep these chef-approved techniques in mind:
- The “Built-In” Thermometer: As Chef Emeril notes, shrimp cook incredibly fast. You can literally watch them change from grey to pink. You want to sear them just until they are firm but still slightly translucent in the absolute center. They will finish cooking as the cream sauce reduces around them. Do not overcook them, or they will become rubbery!
- The Art of the Sauce (Monté au Beurre): The final step of the recipe—whisking the butter in one tablespoon at a time off the heat—is a classic French culinary technique called monté au beurre. This emulsifies the fat into the liquid, creating a thick, glossy, velvety sauce that coats the shrimp perfectly. If you leave the pan on the hot burner while doing this, the sauce will break and turn oily.
- Bread is Mandatory: You cannot serve New Orleans Barbecue Shrimp without an abundance of warm, crusty French bread for “sopping.” The sauce is arguably the best part of the entire dish, and you will want bread to soak up every last drop!
Flavor Hacks and Time-Saving Variations
While making the stock base from scratch yields the most authentic flavor, we know weeknights can be busy. Here are a few ways to adapt this recipe:
- The Shortcut Sauce: If you do not have time to make the slow-simmered “extraction” stock base, you can substitute it with 2/3 cup of a high-quality, thick, store-bought New Orleans-style barbecue sauce or a concentrated, high-quality seafood stock mixed with a heavy splash of Worcestershire sauce and fresh lemon juice.
- Spice it Up: Emeril’s Essence provides a fantastic base level of Creole flavor, but if you love the heat, add a generous pinch of cayenne pepper or a few dashes of a Louisiana-style hot sauce (like Crystal or Tabasco) to the cream reduction.
- Serving Suggestions: While elegantly stacking five shrimp in a shallow bowl is the classic restaurant presentation, you can also serve this rich dish spooned generously over a bed of creamy, white cheddar stone-ground grits or steamed white rice for a heartier meal.
Also Read : Oven Crisp Chicken Wings
Emeril Lagasse’s New Orleans-Style Barbecue Shrimp
5
servings20
minutes45
minutes205
kcalIngredients
The Barbecue Stock Base (“The Extraction”):
3 cups water
3 cups Worcestershire sauce
2 to 3 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
3 tablespoons Emeril’s Blend spice (or your favorite Creole seasoning)
3 tablespoons black pepper, whole
4 lemons, peeled (ensure all bitter white pith is removed)
Reserved shrimp shells (from the 1 pound of shrimp below)
The Barbecue Shrimp:
1 pound (about 25 medium) shrimp, peeled with tails left on (reserve the shells!)
1 teaspoon Emeril’s Essence Creole Seasoning
Vegetable oil (for searing)
2 1/2 cups heavy cream
2/3 cup Barbecue Stock Base (from the recipe above)
5 ounces (10 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into small cubes
1 teaspoon fresh chives, finely minced (for garnish)
Directions
- Part 1: Make the Barbecue Stock Base
- Combine and Simmer: In a medium stockpot, combine the 3 cups of water, 3 cups of Worcestershire sauce, smashed garlic cloves, 3 tablespoons of Creole spice, whole black peppercorns, peeled lemons, and all of the reserved shrimp shells.
- Reduce: Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat. Let it slow-simmer until the liquid reduces down to exactly 2/3 of a cup. The resulting extraction should be incredibly dark, thick, and slightly syrupy.
- Strain: Pour the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl, pressing down on the solids to extract as much flavor as possible. Discard the solids and let the liquid stock base chill.
- Part 2: Cook the Shrimp
- Season and Sear: Season the peeled shrimp generously with the 1 teaspoon of Creole seasoning. Add a thin layer of vegetable oil to a medium skillet and heat on high for 2 to 3 minutes until shimmering. Sear the shrimp for 1 to 2 minutes on each side, just until they are firm but still slightly translucent in the middle.
- Build the Sauce: Lower the heat slightly and immediately add the 2 1/2 cups of heavy cream and your 2/3 cup of prepared Barbecue Stock Base to the skillet. Swirl the pan to blend the liquids together.
- Reduce: Let the cream sauce bubble and reduce by about 1/3. The sauce should become fluid but thick enough to leave a thin, velvety coating on the back of a spoon and on the shrimp.
- Finish with Butter: Remove the skillet completely from the heat. Add the room-temperature butter pieces, 1 tablespoon at a time, continuously swirling and stirring the pan until the butter is completely melted and emulsified into the sauce.
- Plate and Garnish: Neatly stack five shrimp in the center of each serving bowl. Generously spoon the rich sauce over the shrimp, allowing it to pool at the bottom of the bowl. Garnish with minced fresh chives and serve immediately with plenty of crusty bread!