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Garlic-Chile "BBQ" Shrimp

Source of Recipe

From "The New Orleans Kitchen" by Justin Devillier


Recipe Introduction

"In New Orleans, 'BBQ' shrimp is a classic dish in which shrimp aren't barbecued at all (hence the quotation marks), but rather pan-roasted and served swimming in a lavish pool of butter and Worcestershire-based sauce. It's rich, messy, and totally delicious. My Southeast Asian-inspired treatment is foolproof enough to make everyone feel like a champion cook. All you do is heat shrimp on the stove top with garlic, white wine, and a splash of lemon juice; then sprinkle Korean chile flakes and a load of butter on top to create a rich sauce. Toss it with cilantro at the end, and you're left with a juicy, satisfying main course that comes together in minutes."

List of Ingredients

◦� 2 to 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
◦� 12 large head-on wild shrimp (10/12 count size), shells left on, deveined
◦� 3 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
◦� 2 tablespoons Korean dried red chile flakes (gochugaru)
◦� � cup dry white wine
◦� � teaspoon fish sauce (preferably Three Crabs or Red Boat)
◦� � cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
◦� 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
◦� 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves
◦� � teaspoon kosher salt
◦� French bread for serving



Recipe

In a large skillet over high heat, add 2 tablespoons of the oil and heat until shimmering. Add the shrimp and sear for 1 minute. Flip the shrimp and sear for 1 minute on the other side. Remove the shrimp from the pan and set aside on a plate.

In the same skillet over high heat, add the garlic and chile flakes. You should still have enough oil to sweat (soften and release aroma without browning) the garlic in the pan; if not, add the remaining 1 tablespoon. Give the aromatics a few quick stirs, then add the wine and deglaze pan, scraping up the flavorful bits (the fond) stuck on the bottom and stirring them into the liquid. Cook the wine, stirring occasionally, until it has reduced in volume by two-thirds, and then decrease the heat to medium.

Add the fish sauce, stirring briefly, then stir in the butter and continue stirring until it emulsifies smoothly. The idea here is to melt the butter into the sauce without separating the butterfat from the milk solids. Your sauce should look creamy, rather than oily.

Return the shrimp to the pan, decrease the heat to medium-low, and cook for about 3 minutes total, flipping after the first 1 � minutes, until the shrimp are cooked through. Stir in the lime juice, cilantro, and salt.

Divide the shrimp and pan sauce among four bowls and serve with hunks of the French bread for dipping.

Makes 4 servings



❧ Note:
When shopping for shrimp, try to buy fresh, not frozen, and head-on if at all possible. The heads impart a rich crustacean flavor.