New Orleans Style BBQ Shrimp...for New Years

New Orleans is famous and loved for so many things, it's hard to pick just one! We love it for Mardi Gras, of course! We love the fresh seafood and numerous incredible restaurants. We love all of the live music available on every corner in the French Quarter. And, don't forget Bourbon Street and all of the fun bars! This beautiful city has so much to offer the traveler, foodie and music lover in all of us! 

I had the pleasure of spending New Years Eve in New Orleans, several years back and what fun that was! We were lucky enough to get a great rate through booking.com at the elegant Ritz Carlton! I'm THE WORST SLEEPER on the planet, so I wanted to be just off Bourbon Street to avoid the 24 hour loud noise level, but close enough to walk everywhere. The Ritz fit the bill perfectly, being one block off Bourbon. 

They have an inner courtyard that is so quiet and peacful and beautifully decorated at Christmas and through New Years. 

First things first! We had to check out the French Quarter and infamous Bourbon Street. 

Bourbon Street itself is a colorful and crazy street lined with bars and restaurants and lots' of people! Its great to bar hop from place to place, taking your drink along with you while you people watch along the street. Yes! You can drink and walk in New Orleans! Although, I suggest doing this with caution after a few hops!

Once you get off Bourbon, there is the rest of the French Quarter that is truly the gem of this delightful city.

Jackson Square is not to be missed. It's a gathering place for musicians and artists and is filled with tasty restaurants and unique shops.  

The Architecture in the French quarter will leave you spellbound and in awe of the intricate ironwork adorning each lovely building.

But...The food! New Orleans is not one of the most highly acclaimed food cities in the country for nothing. I could have spent months there, eating my way through the amazing restaurants that are to be discovered in the French Quarter! Since we only had a week, we selected a few that I would highly recommend. 

Napoleon House is an old standard. There is an antique bar and a sunny interior courtyard space along with a quirky interior, that make you feel right at home. 

Bourbon House Seafood...I had to make a stop into this place for their world famous oysters! This is actually on Bourbon Street, so a good pit stop to refuel after a little bar hopping. 

Cafe Du Monde for their famous beignets! Leave lot's of time for this stop, as there is always a LONG line, but you have to do this. It's a New Orleans must do!

Ok... Bars! Too many! Well, how about too many for us to see all the wonderful establishments the city has to offer? We did manage to make a pretty good dent...yikes! Sorry liver!

The Carousel Bar is a classic, gorgeous place that was at the top of our list. Little did we know, there were some fun photo-bombers waiting for us inside! Ha!

 Classic cocktails at a classic spot!

Everyone loves my new boyfriend's place...Pat O'Brien's

We went to quite a few bars and music joints in the French Quarter and they were all fantastic! We especially liked the Blue Nile andThe Spotted Cat.

Beyond Bourbon Street and the French Quarter, there is still so much to do and see in this riverside city they call, The Big Easy.  True to it's name, it's "easy" to fall in love with every part of this wonderful city. 

We took a bus tour through much of the city which included the glorious Garden District with it's stunning mansions. In stark contrast, we drove through the areas devistated by Hurricane Katrina. So heartbreaking, and a wound that is still healing for this stalwart town. 

We took a ride on The Natchez paddle boat and got a great view of the city skyline from the Mississippi River.

We spent most of our time in the French Quarter, eating, drinking, listening to music, shopping and ogling the French inspired architecture, which I think will take up most of your time. But, get out and see a little of the rest of New Orleans too! The World War II Museum was fascinating, just FYI! So much to see and do and so little time! Just do your best and have a great time!

So, back to my favorite subject, food! This shrimp recipe is based on the flavorful, Worcestershire and lemon based BBQ sauce that is a New Orleans staple. Almost every restaurant will have their version of this dish. This one is a take on Emeril Lagasse's recipe, a Louisiana legend. 

Start with a pound of fresh large shrimp. They need to be peeled and deviened. You can leave on the tails if you want to eat them with your fingers and dip them in the delectable sauce. I buy them already peeled and deveined to make my life easy! Toss the shrimp with your favorite creole seasoning. Emeril has a great one!

Heat one tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat, in a large saute pan. Cook the shimp for a minute on each side. They won't be cooked all the way yet, because we are going to add them back to the sauce later. Set them aside in a bowl and cover. 

In the same pan, saute the onion and garlic for one minute, then add in the remaining ingredients, except the cream and butter. Let this mixture cook for 15 minutes. It will reduce down a bit and the flavors will meld. It doesn't look pretty, but it's going to taste great!

If you don't know how to section a piece of citrus fruit, it's super easy! Cut the ends off, then sit the fruit upright and slice downward, to peel the fruit. Once peeled, slide the knife between the pulp and the fibrous layers and the segments will come right out!

When the sauce has cooked down a bit for 15 minutes, Let it cool for a few minutes and then strain it to get a nice, smooth sauce. Cook this strained sauce for 20 minutes or so, until you have it reduced down to 2-3 tablespoons and it's thick like syrup.

Now, add the shrimp back into the sauce and stir in the cream. Let it simmer for a few minutes until it's combined and the shrimp are cooked through. Remove the shrimp to a serving bowl or plate and whisk the butter into the sauce. Pour the sauce over the shrimp and they are ready to devour!

You can serve these rich and flavorful shrimp alone as an appetizer with some sourdough bread to dip in the sauce, or serve with rice or parsnip puree and a nice salad.  One thing's for sure...they will give you a taste of the Big Easy!

Happy New Year Y'all! 

New Orleans Style BBQ Shrimp

Yield:  2 Servings

Prep time: 10 minutes

Total time: 45 minutes

INGREDIENTS

·

• 1 pound raw shrimp, peeled, deviened

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 2 teaspoons + 1 tablespoon creole seasoning

• ¼ cup minced onion

• 1 tablespoon minced garlic

• 2 bay leaves

• 1 large lemon, peeled and sectioned

• 1 cup water

• ¼ cup Worcestershire Sauce

• 1/8 cup white wine or dry champagne

• 1 cup heavy cream

• 1 tablespoon butter

• Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

Toss shrimp with 2 teaspoons of creole seasoning. Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Cook shrimp for a minute on each side and remove from pan to a bowl and cover.

In the same pan, heat one tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat and sauté onion and garlic for one minute. Add in one tablespoon of creole seasoning, bay leaves, lemon segments, water, Worcestershire Sauce, white wine and accumulated juices from shrimp.  Bring to a boil and cook for 20 minutes until reduced to ¾ cup. Let cool for 5 minutes and strain the sauce, then return to pan and simmer for 15-20 minutes until syrup consistency. You should have 2-3 tablespoons of BBQ sauce base.

Add the reserved shrimp back to the pan with the BBQ sauce and add in one cup of heavy cream. Let simmer for several minutes to heat the shrimp and let the sauce thicken a bit. Remove the shrimp to a serving dish. Whisk one tablespoon of butter into the sauce and pour over the shrimp.

Serve over Basmati rice, parsnip puree or with sourdough bread to dip in the sauce.

SPECIAL DIET INFORMATION

Lectin Free, Gluten Free