New Orleans-style barbecue shrimp from Today Show

Saw this recipe on the Today Show on Fat Tuesday --they raved about it so much I decided to halve the recipe and use it as an appetizer --I could only get these big shrimp frozen at Wegmans--but it really was delicious and Kevin loved every bite!! ***you will be breaking off the head and discarding and peeling the shrimp as you eat it--have plenty of napkins ready but the sauce is so good you will lick your fingers clean!!***

New Orleans-style barbecue shrimp by Chef Haley Bittermann

12 raw colossal shrimp, unpeeled, with heads and tails left on
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper
2 teaspoons Creole seasoning (Wegmans sells it)
1 teaspoon minced, fresh garlic
1-3 tablespoons Abita beer, divided (water can be substituted) (used Sam Smiths nut brown ale)
1/2 each lemon, seeded
1/4 pound cold butter , cut into 1/2-inch cubes

Warm, crusty French bread, for serving (used french bread rolls)
Preparation

Place the unpeeled shrimp, Worcestershire sauce, black pepper, Creole seasoning, garlic, and 1 tablespoon beer (or water) in a heavy 10-inch, stainless-steel sauté pan. Squeeze the juice from the lemon half over the shrimp and add the rind and pulp to the pan.

 Over high heat, cook the shrimp while gently stirring and occasionally turning the shrimp. After about 2 minutes of cooking, the shrimp should start turning pink on both sides, indicating they are nearly half cooked.

If the shrimp are the colossal size, add additional 2 tablespoons beer (or water) to the pan; otherwise, don’t add water.

Reduce the heat to medium-high and continue cooking as you gradually add the cold pieces of butter to the pan.

While turning the shrimp occasionally, swirl the butter pieces until they are incorporated into the pan juices, the sauce turns light brown and creamy as it simmers, and the shrimp are just cooked through. This will take about 2 minutes total if the shrimp are extra-large, and about 3 minutes total if they’re colossal. Do not overcook the shrimp.

Serving suggestion: Pour the shrimp and sauce into a heated pasta bowl with the lemon-half, turned cut-side down, in the center. Serve the shrimp and sauce immediately, alongside slices of warm, crusty French bread for sopping up the sauce.

Note: This dish is prepared only 2 servings at a time because increasing the number of shrimp beyond 12 would require increasing the dish’s amount of sauce. Reducing the larger amount of sauce would require more cooking time, resulting in overcooked shrimp.
Serves 2 as a main meal or 4 as appetizer