There’s a pretty good bead-getting story that goes with the N’awlins Bar-be-que Shrimp story but…oh heck…just this once.
Just like when my husband enlightened me to the red light district in Amsterdam many moons ago, my first trip to Bourbon Street was equally adventuresome and eye-opening.
There as one of a few ladies for a fire chief convention, the boys took me to see the bead-throwing shirt-lifting ladies. When I grasped that a string of plastic beads warranted nudity I tempted fate.
“You mean that you would lift your shirt for my friends for a buck?” I asked a woman not on a balcony above me but a foot from my face. “Sure!” And that, my dear wine friends, is how I got to be every body’s best friend in N’Awlins.
Later that week, Eddie and I ventured back to Bourbon street in the day time. We chose a random restaurant and Eddie ordered a random shrimp dish.
Bar-be-que Shrimp in N’awlins isn’t the same thing as ordering something skewered and coated with thick brown sauce. This “sauce” our shrimp was bathed in was served with warm, crusty bread, and was almost as coveted as the tender shrimp.
Ed went on an Internet search when we got home and produced a half dozen recipes. This is the one I chose to make and the link for more from Chef Dave Snyder:
| Barbeque Shrimp | |
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16 Jumbo Fresh Shrimp (1 1/4 Pounds) Tail On – I Use Regular Sized Shrimp…It’s Up To You.
1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter, Sliced
1/4 Cup Worchestershire Sauce
3 Garlic Cloves, Chopped (Or More If You Like!)
2 Tablespoons Of Lemon Juice
1 Tablespoon Of Creole Or Cajun Spice (I Used Cajun)
1 Tablespoon Coarsely Ground Pepper
1 Lemon, Cut Into 4 Wedges
Stir all ingredients together in an ovenproof skillet. Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes or until shrimp turn pink. Serve with crusty bread for dipping…the sauce is the best.
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And the bread to go with came courtesy Chef David Lawrence via
Sullivan Street Bakery with one small change to the recipe below:
Baking the Perfect Loaf of Bread at Home
1½ cups (345g or 12oz) water
¼ teaspoon (1g) yeast
1¼ teaspoon (8g) salt
olive oil (for coating)
extra flour, wheat bran, or cornmeal (for dusting)
6 to 8 quart pot with lid (Pyrex glass, Le Creuset cast iron, or ceramic)
Wooden Spoon or spatula (optional)
Plastic wrap
Two or three cotton dish towels (not terrycloth)
Mixall of the dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Add water and incorporateby hand or with a wooden spoon or spatula for 30 seconds to 1 minute.Lightly coat the inside of a second medium bowl with olive oil andplace the dough in the bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and letthe dough rest 12 hours at room temperature (approx. 65-72°F).
Remove the dough from the bowl and fold once or twice. Let the doughrest 15 minutes in the bowl or on the work surface. Next, shape thedough into ball. Generously coat a cotton towel with flour, wheat bran,or cornmeal; place the dough seam side down on the towel and dust withflour. Cover the dough with a cotton towel and let rise 1-2 hours atroom temperature, until more than doubled in size.
Preheat ovento 450-500°F. Place the pot in the oven at least 30 minutes prior tobaking to preheat. Once the dough has more than doubled in volume,remove the pot from the oven and place the dough in the pot seam sideup. Cover with the lid and bake 30 minutes Then remove the lid and bake15-30 minutes uncovered, until the loaf is nicely browned.
Hi Eve,
I’m happy to share the link to the French bread recipe. I’m telling you, even YOU could make this bread and look like a pro baker. There’s nothing to it!
*You don’t need to mess with the kitchen towel bit in phase II, I just knead in a bit of flour in the same bowl and cover it with plastic wrap. I tried it their way and the dough just sticks to the towel.
Enjoy!
Chef Dave
