For me, summer at the beach is synonymous with shrimp. But not just any shrimp will do. They have to be fresh Carolina shrimp – the big ‘uns – and they have to be made with this Southern BBQ Shrimp recipe I scored from Bon Appetit two years ago. Brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, Old Bay, lots of butter and lemon… half the sauce is used to cook the shrimp in and the other half at the table to dunk your shrimp and crusty bread. Doesn’t that sound gorgeous?
We were down in Hilton Head Island SC over the 4th of July and my nephew Ben and his wife and two kids came to visit for a couple of days. We made these shrimp and served them with corn-on-the cob, tomato & cucumber salad and crusty bread and we were in finger-lickin’, shrimp heaven.
The secret to good shrimp is to not overcook them! Whether pan-sauteing, grilling or broiling, they should only cook for 3-5 minutes tops. If they curl up into a circle, throw them out, they’re overcooked. Ain’t much worse than an overcooked shrimp – blech! Don’t turn your back on ‘em. Shut your mouth and focus because as soon as you divert your attention… yep, and you know you’ll be pissed!
Southern “Barbecue” Shrimp
1 pound uncooked large shrimp, deveined but with tails and shells intact
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons (packed) golden brown sugar
2 tablespoons Old Bay seasoning or other seafood seasoning
Lemon wedges
Crusty baguette slices
Preheat broiler. Cover rimmed baking sheet with foil and spread shrimp on sheet. Mix melted butter, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, brown sugar, and Old Bay seasoning in medium bowl for sauce. Pour half of sauce over shrimp and stir to coat. Broil until shrimp are just opaque in center, about 2 1/2 minutes per side. Transfer to platter; serve with lemon wedges, baguette slices, and remaining sauce.
Test-kitchen tip: To devein the shrimp for this recipe, use scissors to cut shells down center of backs and pull out veins. Even easier: Many supermarkets sell uncooked deveined shrimp with the shells and tails intact.
Hi Lynn,
I just bought shrimp today to make New Orleans BBQ shrimp at the request of my son who’s home for a few days. I would not have thought I could be swayed from my old recipe but yours sounds spectacular.
My version uses a ton of fresh minced garlic, Lea & Perrins, Lemon slices, lots of butter and some olive oil, Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning, lots of black pepper, Bay Leaf, broiled in a single layer, served with lots of french bread for sauce soppin’.
Wow, I gotta say, yours sounds just as tasty. I hope your son will enjoy these. Don’t ya just love the soppin’?
Thanks for stopping by-
Jessica
[...] presents Shrimp @ The Beach posted at [...]
[...] festivities. But that didn’t stop us from eating – no way, no how! I made our traditional Southern Barbecue Shrimp w/ those gorgeous fresh Carolina shrimp from the island’s Piggly Wiggly. I am still [...]