BARBECUED SHRIMP

Serves 4

• 6 pounds large shrimp, heads on (don’t peel them)
• 2 sticks butter
• 3/4 cups olive oil
• 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
• ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1½ teaspoons salt (or to taste)
• 1/2 teaspoon Tabasco® (or more, according to taste)
• 1 tablespoon rosemary leaves
• 1 teaspoon oregano leaves

Rinse the shrimp in cool water and drain. Spread the shrimp in a large shallow baking pan. In a saucepan, melt butter, then add the rest of the ingredients. Mix well. Pour sauce over shrimp and marinate for one hour. Bake at 325 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes. Stir a couple of times with a spatula. Do not overcook. Serve in a soup bowl with lots of hot French bread to sop up the sauce. Be sure to have some trays around on which to put shells and such. Be forewarned – this can only be eaten with your hands.

To end your meal, I highly recommend our Gateau Na-Na—a pecan praline delight!

Another idea for dessert—if you can get your hands on Louisiana strawberries, slice, macerate (a big word for “soaking”) them in brandy, add some fresh mint leaves and let all sit in the ‘fridge for an hour or more, then plop them over vanilla ice cream and serve with our alligator cookies!

Here’s to spring!

And nothing is easier than this to serve as an appetizer.

CRAWFISH IN SPICY CREOLE MUSTARD

• 1/4 cup Creole mustard
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup rice or red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
• 1 tablespoon ketchup
• 1/8 teaspoon (about 6 dashes) Tabasco sauce
• Zest from 1/2 lemon, finely chopped
• 1 pinch chopped parsley, plus 1 tablespoon chopped in reserve
• 1 tablespoon chopped green onions, plus 2 tablespoons chopped in reserve
• Cracked black pepper to taste
• 1 pound peel crawfish tails, rinsed

Combine all of the ingredients (except for the 1 tablespoon chopped parsley and 2 tablespoons chopped green onions) in a mixing bowl and whisk until all is well blended. Refrigerate for 24 hours. It may be stored for up to one week. When ready to use, whisk again. To serve, toss the rinsed crawfish tails in some of the sauce, according to your personal taste. Add the reserved parsley and green onions. This is excellent served atop assorted mixed salad greens, or on chilled marinated white beans, or even with cold pasta.

If grilling is your thing, then by all means, fire it up with grilled fresh or smoked sausage. The sausage can be served (cut into small chunks) as an appetizer dabbed with Creole mustard or Tabasco’s spicy mayonnaise. Or, if you prefer, tuck the sausage between two big slices of hot French bread and enjoy a great po-boy sandwich. To serve alongside those po-boys, I suggest any of our jambalaya mixes. Make a lettuce and tomato salad and dress it with a balsamic vinegar (we have that as well) vinaigrette to complete the meal.