NOLA Barbecued Shrimp

The barbecued shrimp at NOLA, in New Orleans is legendary. I made a version of this for dinner tonight, and man was it good! I thought this creamy sauce was based on a dark roux, which means flour, but no!

And did you know that 4 ounces of cooked shrimp (8-10 large shrimp) have about 20 grams of protein, with very little fat and almost no carbs? This recipe definitely adds some fat but is loaded with flavor. If you’re watching your blood sugars, serve the shrimp with a big salad or vegetables. If you’re not diabetic, this sauce is amazing over pasta.

I had a bite of my husband’s!

Ingredients:

• 2-3 pounds of shrimp, raw, shells on

• 2 Tb Cajun or Creole seasoning

• 4 cloves minced garlic

• Salt, pepper, olive oil, water

• ½ medium onion, chopped

• 3 bay leaves

• 3 lemons, quartered

• ½ cup Worcestershire sauce

• ¼ cup white wine (skip this if you’re pregnant)

• 2 cups heavy cream

• 2 Tb butter

Preparation:

1. Peel the shrimp. Save the shells. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the Creole seasoning and 1 teaspoon ground black pepper over the shrimp and toss to cover the shrimp evenly. Place the shrimp in the fridge for now.

2. Heat a large pot and add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add chopped onions and garlic and cook for one minute. Now add the shrimp shells, the other tablespoon of Creole seasoning, 2 cups water, the Worcestershire sauce, and a teaspoon each of salt and black pepper. Squeeze the quartered lemons into the pot then toss them in. Bring this mixture to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes.

3. Remove the pot from the heat and allow the mixture to cool for 15 minutes, then pour it through a strainer into a large measuring cup. You should have about 1 ½ cups liquid. Place the mixture in a small saucepan and heat over medium high heat. Boil until the mixture is reduced to 4-5 tablespoons of brown syrupy sauce.

4. In your original large pot, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil. Cook the shrimp in 2 batches, about 2 minutes per batch. Stir it around to cook evenly. Add more olive oil if needed.

5. Put the cooked shrimp back into the pot and add the heavy cream and your syrupy sauce. Use a rubber spatula to get all the sauce into your pot. Stir the mixture to combine, and simmer for 5 minutes.

6. Remove the shrimp to a serving plate with a slotted spoon and continue to simmer the sauce until it thickens. Stir the butter into the sauce to finish.

7. Pour the sauce over the shrimp, or over cooked pasta and top with shrimp.

This dinner was so rich and creamy, but is low-carb. I had a big serving with a salad, and my blood glucose stayed perfectly in range! It would have been even better over pasta, but c’est la vie.