Spicy Cajun Style Shrimp

Published 2:56 pm Monday, June 20, 2011

By Kenneth Morrogh, New Iberia

2 pounds large shrimp, headless with shells 

1 teaspoon paprika 

freshly ground black pepper, to taste 

1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne 

1/4 teaspoon oregano 

1/4 teaspoon basil 

1/4 teaspoon salt 

2 tablespoons olive oil 

1 cup chicken broth 

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce 

1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce (see notes) 

2 large garlic cloves, minced 

1/4 cup dry white wine 

2 tablespoons tomato paste 

4 green onions, sliced 

With a sharp paring knife or small scissors, cut through the

back of each shrimp to expose the vein. Remove the vein leaving the

shell intact. Combine the paprika, black pepper, cayenne, oregano,

basil and salt. Add the shrimp and toss to combine. Let stand for

about fifteen minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the oil,

the shrimp, one-fourth cup of the chicken broth, the Worcestershire

sauce, pepper sauce and garlic. 

Cook, stirring occasionally, until the the shrimp shells just

start to turn pink, about two minutes. 

Add the remaining three-fourths cup of the chicken broth, the

wine and the tomato paste.

 Increase the heat to high and cook the shrimp for another two

minutes or just until they are opaque. With a slotted spoon,

transfer the shrimp to a large deep platter. 

Continue to cook the sauce with high heat until it thickens

slightly, about an additional minute. Stir in the green onions and

pour the sauce over the shrimp. 

Serve with a crusty bread to soak up the sauce and plenty of

ice-cold beer. Provide  plenty of napkins; It can get a bit messy

when eating this, but that’s part of the fun of eating this

dish. 

Serves  about 4. 

Note: This dish is a bit on the peppery side. Adjust the

quantity of Tabasco to suit your taste, or use a hot pepper sauce

of your choice. There  is also going to be some heat contributed by

the cayenne, so you may want to adjust this also.

Kenneth Morrogh, New Iberia 

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