Forgive me Father, for I have sinned. After practically starving myself for 10 days straight, I devoured an ungodly amount of butter on the first night of lent. Please don't judge me. With the exception of a few random decadent bites and one indulgent meal this past weekend, I've been deprived of all meat, dairy, carbs, and basically anything remotely unhealthy for the last week and a half. The reason for this foodie's worst nightmare? Engagement pictures. Silly (and yet, oh so beautiful) engagement pictures that I'll be taking with my (not so excited) main squeeze this weekend. Yeah, I need to look my best and in order to do that, I forced myself into a full-on veggie soup/liquid diet. Oh, how fun it has been.
Broccoli soup, kale smoothies, and detox teas...for what has seemed like an eternity. Until last night....
One would think that since Fat Tuesday is the day to practice gluttony (per religious standards) I would've chosen that day to "cheat" on a grand scale one last time before lent, and more importantly, before I'm wearing next to nothing on the beach for a sunrise photo shoot this weekend. But since I'm terribly twisted, I broke all the rules last night. And breaking the rules has never tasted so damn good.
Although I haven't been privilege to Mr. B's BBQ shrimp in N'awlins, I have tasted the delectably rich and calorie-ridden sauced up shrimp and French bread that's an honest to God staple in the Big Easy. You may wonder how I've enjoyed this butter with a side of shrimp dinner outside of Nola? Well, Mr. B's posts their New Orleans BBQ Shrimp recipe online, for all to copycat, and for all to so shamefully enjoy. Oh, and friends; this is not the kind of BBQ as we know it. No grill, smoker, or tangy brownish-red sauce involved.
Remember how I asked for forgiveness? You might want to sit down...and brace yourself. So, the recipe (perfect for 2 or as an appetizer for 4) calls for...3 glorious sticks of butter. Wow...it hurts to even type that. But I promise you, you will forget just how clogged your arteries are becoming as you submerge French bread in that sauce and as you lick your fingers clean.
Ok, so the small bit of good news for all you weight watchers? You probably won't even ingest one quarter of the righteous sauce unless you go through a half loaf of bread. So at least there's that, right? The flavorful sauce also is filled with Cajun seasoning, worcestershire, garlic, and pepper. Oh...and another head's up, with shell-on shrimp (preferably with the head), things can get a bit messy. But, I assure you...the calories...and the mess are so freaking worth it.
As Made in Dash of Les' kitchen:
Mr. B's New Orleans Barbequed Shrimp
Ingredients:
16 jumbo shrimp (12 per pound, about 1 1/2 pounds), with heads and unpeeled
1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
2 teaspoons cracked black pepper
2 teaspoons Creole seasoning
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cubed
French bread as accompaniment
Directions:
1) In a large skillet combine shrimp, Worcestershire, lemon juice, black peppers, Creole seasoning, and garlic and cook over moderately high heat until shrimp turn pink, about 1 minute on each side.
2) Reduce heat to moderate and stir in butter, a few cubes at a time, stirring constantly and adding more only when butter is melted.
3) Remove skillet from heat. Place shrimp in a bowl and pour sauce over top. Serve with French bread for dipping.
4) ENJOY...and be sure to lick your fingers clean!
