Gulf Coast Shrimp

I have been wanting to try my hand at grilling seafood on the grill for a long time and I finally got my chance the other day with this recipe from Steven Raichlen's Barbecue Bible. The recipe is delicious, easy to follow, and makes enough marinade for 2 lbs of shrimp. I had a blast cooking the shrimp on the grill. The butter in the marinade is sure to make for a good show on the grill, so be sure to do it in front of your guests so you can show off your skills. Be advised though, if you do not like spicy foods, this isn't the recipe for you; and you may want to offer another condiment like Ranch Dressing to help cool it down.

Advance Preparation

2 to 4 hours for marinating the shrimp

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 cup bottled clam broth, chicken broth, or water (I used chicken broth)

8 tbsp unsalted butter

6 cloves garlic, minced

4 scallions, both white and green parts, trimmed and finely chopped

1 to 2 tbsp Tabasco or other Louisiana-style hot sauce

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

2 bay leaves

2 tsp cayenne pepper

2 tsp sweet paprika

2 tsp dried thyme

2 tsp dried oregano

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

3/4 cup dark cane syrup (I use Agave syrup because it was all I could find)

1. Combine the shrimp shells and the clam broth in a medium-size saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and let simmer, uncovered, until slightly reduced and well flavored (the shrimp shells will turn orange), 10 to 15 minutes. Strain the broth into another medium-size saucepan; you should have about 3/4 cup.

2. Add the butter, garlic, scallions, Tabasco, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaves, cayenne, paprika, thyme, oregano, salt, black pepper, and cane syrup to the shrimp broth. Bring to a boiled over medium heat and cook, uncovered, whisking often until thick, syrupy, and richly flavored, about 10 minutes. Remove the marinade from the heat and let cool to room temperature.

3. Meanwhile, rinse the shrimp under cold running water, then drain them and blot dry with paper towels.

4. Add the shrimp to the cooled marinade in the saucepan and toss to coat. Let the shrimp marinate in the refrigerator, covered, for to 2 to 4 hours.

5. Set up the grill for direct grilling and preheat to high.

6. When ready to cook, brush and oil the grate. Remove the shrimp from the marinade, setting aside the marinade. Arrange the shrimp on the hot grate and grill, turning with tongs, until nicely browned on the outside and firm and pink inside, about 2 minutes per side. Brush the shrimp with 2 to 3 tablespoons of the reserved marinade while they grill.

7. Transfer the shrimp to a serving platter. Bring the remaining marinade to a boiled over medium heat whisking it well. Remove and discard the bay leaves, then pour the marinade over the shrimp and serve at once. (I served it on the side as a dipping sauce since it was so spicy)