APEX Legacy · a way of life

Barbecue Shrimp

Not barbecued at all — head-on Gulf shrimp swimming in a peppery, garlicky, butter-and-Worcestershire pan sauce you sop with French bread. A New Orleans signature.

Compiled by APEX Legacy from published research and documented food history, under the editorial direction of Jonathan Jackson, Founder. How we write and review these pages →

Why it is ours

New Orleans barbecue shrimp is celebration and restaurant food, a dish that says you came to the city to eat. Made at home with head-on Gulf shrimp from Black and Cajun shrimpers, it connects the table directly to the working Gulf.

What it does

The shrimp themselves are excellent — lean protein with selenium, B12, iodine, and zinc. The health question is entirely the sauce, which traditionally floats on a great deal of butter. Cutting the butter dramatically and leaning on garlic, black pepper, Worcestershire, and lemon keeps the dish's soul while restoring its nutrition.

How it is cooked

Sauté head-on Gulf shrimp in a sauce of butter, garlic, black pepper, cayenne, Worcestershire, lemon, and herbs until just pink, and serve with French bread for the sauce. To lighten: build the sauce mostly from shrimp stock, garlic, pepper, and Worcestershire with only a small finishing knob of butter, and serve with whole-grain bread and a green salad.

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