Living in the San Francisco Bay Area my whole life, I never understood the celebratory nature of Mardi Gras in New Orleans. The whole city comes alive with massive get togethers with friends and family, and of course, decadent food. It is not uncommon for people cooking outdoors to invite strangers passing by to join the fun, an action that would sadly be alien in northern California.
So to capture the aura of New Orleans on Mardi Gras, I interviewed a chef who brings a taste of New Orleans to San Francisco. Chef Brenda has deep roots and family ties to New Orleans, coming from a line of Filipino fisherman that settled in that vibrant town as early as 1763. .
These immigrants were called Manilamen, who revolutionized the shrimping industry in the south by introducing methods such as the Shrimp Dance. This method was a process of separating shrimp shells from the meat by teams of fishermen dancing and stomping on piles of shrimp in a circular motion. Their tradition of drying shrimp was an effective way of preserving the shellfish before the advent of refrigeration technology.
In light of this shrimping history, I was thrilled when Chef Brenda suggested sharing her New Orleans barbeque shrimp recipe. However, this sauce is nothing like traditional barbeque. This butter based sauce has savory worcester and a hint of spicy peppers, making a rich bath for dunking fresh slices of baguette. Sampling this shrimp dish was like an out of body experience, and her beignets also melt in your mouth like butter!
I highly recommend trying her restaurants, called Brenda’s French Soul Food or Brenda’s Meat and Three if you are in San Francisco. If you don’t live in this area, you can try this traditional New Orleans style dish from your own home, by checking out the video below:
New Orleans BBQ Shrimp
For Recipe:
- 1 LB Jumbo Shrimp, Peeled & Deveined, Tail On
- Salt and Pepper
- Shrimp Juice (see recipe below)
- Mirepoix (see recipe below)
- Shrimp Butter (see recipe below)
- French Roll or Baguette Butter Minced Parsley (optional garnish)
- Sliced Lemon (optional garnish)
- Method: Lightly season shrimp with salt and pepper and set aside. Heat up large saute pan over high flame. Add canola oil then minced vegetables (mirepoix). Cook and stir until veggies are lightly caramelized. Add shrimp and toss for about a minute. Add shrimp juice and reduce liquid by a little over half. Add butter and swirl pan until butter is melted and sauce is thickened. Place shrimp in serving dish and garnish with parsley and lemon slice. Serve with toasted baguette. Bon Appetit!
For Shrimp Juice:
- ¾ C Dry White Wine
- ¼ C Worcestershire
- 2 TB C Lemon Juice
- Method: Whisk together and set aside.
For Shrimp Mirepoix:
- 3TB Minced Yellow Onion
- 1 TB Minced Celery
- 1 Garlic Clove,
- Minced Pinch Thyme Leaves
For Shrimp Butter:
- ½ Stick Unsalted Butter, Room Temp
- 1 TSP Sambal Oelek 1 TSP Cayenne
- ½ TSP Paprika
- 1 TSP Salt
- 1 TB Sriracha
- Method: Whisk together and set aside
