New Orleans Style Cajun Shrimp

No grill. No barbecue sauce. Just plenty of butter, high heat, and lots of character.

In New Orleans cuisine, "BBQ Shrimp" doesn't refer to grilled shrimp or shrimp coated in a sweet barbecue sauce. Here, "barbecue" refers to the shrimp being pan-fried in butter, Worcestershire sauce, lemon, garlic, and a strong spice blend, resulting in a dark, glossy, and slightly smoky color.

There are two key elements that define the character of a dish: cooking the shrimp quickly without drying them out and properly incorporating the butter into the sauce. Mama Ram Cajun Seasoning brings together the warmth of red pepper, the appetizing body of garlic and onion, the sharpness of black pepper, and the aromatic side of dried herbs in a single layer.

The result is a stir-fried dish that isn't overly bitter but has a distinct spice profile, plenty of sauce, and is so good it's unthinkable to serve it without bread.

How many people?

Main course for 2 or starter for 4

Preparation Time

15 minutes

Cooking Time

5-6 minutes

Materials

• 500 g large raw shrimp

• 2 teaspoons Mama Ram Cajun Seasoning

• 100 g cold butter

• 1 tablespoon of olive oil

• 3 cloves of garlic

• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

• Juice of 1 lemon

• finely grated zest of half a lemon

• 3 tablespoons dry white wine, shrimp stock, or fish stock

• 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

• 1 sprig of fresh thyme or ½ teaspoon of dried thyme

• 1–2 teaspoons of hot pepper sauce; optional

• 1 tablespoon of finely chopped parsley

• Salt as needed

• Toasted baguette for serving

• Lemon slices for serving.

Shrimp Selection

Classic New Orleans recipes often use large shrimp, shelled and preferably with their heads. The shells and heads impart a more intense seafood flavor to the buttery sauce during cooking and also protect the shrimp from high heat.

For easier serving, you can also use peeled shrimp. In this case, leave the tails on if possible. This makes the shrimp look better in the pan and also makes them easier to eat by hand.

If using frozen shrimp, thaw them completely and carefully pat them dry with paper towels before cooking. The water remaining on the shrimp will quickly lower the pan's temperature. This way, instead of frying, the shrimp will release their water and begin to boil.

Preliminary

Cut the butter into small cubes and keep it in the refrigerator until you're ready to use it. Cold butter is important for the sauce to thicken properly.

Finely chop the garlic. Grate the lemon zest, avoiding the white, bitter layer underneath; then squeeze the juice.

Place the shrimp in a large bowl. Add the olive oil, Mama Ram Cajun Seasoning, and half of the black pepper. Mix well to distribute the seasoning evenly over the shrimp and let it sit for about 10 minutes.

Do not marinate the shrimp in lemon juice. The acidity of the lemon begins to alter the delicate protein structure of the shrimp before cooking, potentially resulting in a tough texture. We will only add the lemon during the pan-frying stage.

Cooking

Heat a wide, thick-bottomed pan over medium-high heat until very hot. A sufficiently hot pan will allow the shrimp to quickly develop color on the surface while remaining juicy on the inside.

Arrange the shrimp in a single layer in the pan. If your pan isn't wide enough to hold all the shrimp without them touching each other, cook them in two batches. An overcrowded pan will cool down quickly, and the shrimp will remain in their own juices.

Cook the shrimp on the first side for about 60–90 seconds without moving them. When the bottom is browned and the edges begin to turn pink, flip them over. Cook the second side for about 45–60 seconds.

The shrimp don't need to be fully cooked at this stage. Since they'll be in the sauce for a short while longer, it's preferable that their centers remain slightly translucent.

Reduce the heat to medium. Add the finely chopped garlic and thyme to the pan. Stir with the shrimp for 20–30 seconds. Just enough for the garlic to release its aroma; don't let it brown. Burnt garlic will impart an irreversible bitterness to the entire sauce.

Add Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, lemon zest, and white wine to the pan. You can also use shrimp or fish stock instead of white wine. If you want a more pronounced heat, add the chili sauce at this stage.

Gently stir the browned spices and garlic pieces from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Let the sauce simmer for about 45–60 seconds until slightly reduced.

Binding the sauce

Reduce the heat to the lowest setting. Add about a quarter of the chilled butter cubes from the refrigerator to the pan. Holding the pan by the handle, swirl it in small circular motions.

Once the first batch of butter has completely melted and combined with the sauce, add the second batch. Continue adding the butter little by little until all the butter is used up.

The goal here isn't just to melt the butter; it's to allow it to emulsify with the lemon and spice-infused liquid in the pan. A properly combined sauce will be glossy, slightly thickened, and have a consistency that allows it to adhere to the surface of the shrimp.

After adding the butter, do not boil the sauce vigorously. High heat can break down the emulsion, causing the butter to separate and the sauce to appear greasy.

Once all the butter is incorporated into the sauce, stir the shrimp once more and remove the pan from the heat. The total cooking time for the shrimp should not exceed approximately 3–4 minutes. Overcooked shrimp will become firm, lose their moisture, and develop a rubbery texture.

The Final Touch

Taste the sauce. Mama Ram Cajun Seasoning and Worcestershire sauce already contain salt, so you often don't need to add extra salt. If necessary, just add a small pinch.

Sprinkle with the remaining coarsely ground black pepper and finely chopped parsley. Shake the pan one last time to coat the shrimp with the glossy sauce.

If the sauce seems too thick, you can thin it by adding a tablespoon of hot water. If it's too thin, remove the shrimp from the pan and let them simmer in the sauce for another 20-30 seconds. Don't leave the shrimp in the pan to thicken the sauce; they will continue to cook while you cook them.

Service

Serve the New Orleans-style Cajun shrimp immediately, hot and with all the sauce, in a slightly deep serving dish. Place thickly sliced, toasted baguette bread and a few lemon slices alongside.

In this recipe, bread is more of a complement to the dish than just an accompaniment. There's no question of leaving behind the buttery, lemony, garlicky, and spiced sauce at the bottom of the pan.

Chef's Notes

Be sure to dry the shrimp thoroughly. For a good frying result, the surface of the shrimp should be dry and the pan should be hot enough.

Don't burn the seasoning. Mama Ram Cajun Seasoning can become bitter if left in a very hot, empty pan for too long, as the red pepper and dried herbs can become rancid. Using the seasoning with the shrimp allows the flavors to infuse into the oil in a controlled manner.

Don't overcook the shrimp. They are usually cooked when they take on a C shape. If they are tightly closed and have taken on an O shape, they have most likely been in the pan for too long.

Add the cold butter gradually. This is when the sauce develops its glossy, velvety texture. Adding all the butter at once won't give the same result.

You can leave the shell on for flavor. Shrimp in the shell gives a denser, more classic result. Peeled shrimp, on the other hand, are easier to eat and absorb the sauce more directly. Both options work; just adjust the cooking time by a few seconds depending on the size of the shrimp.

Don't prepare the sauce in advance. This dish is at its best the moment it comes out of the pan. As it sits, the shrimp will continue to cook, and the buttery sauce will begin to lose its shine and emulsion.

When the warmth of the spices, the sharpness of the lemon, and the richness of the butter come together in one pan, all that's left is choosing the right bread.