Fry

BBQ Shrimp with Fried Polenta Cakes

February 17, 2016
0
0 Ratings
Photo by anotherfoodieblogger
  • Prep time 1 hour
  • Cook time 20 minutes
  • Serves 2, double, triple or quadruple as needed!
Author Notes

We have a local trendy restaurant called Zydeco in Central Oregon that has this amazing shrimp appetizer, and they sell the sauce they use in it for $16 a bottle. Now who the heck pays $16 for a bottled sauce? Without even buying the bottle to figure out the ingredients, I cobbled together this dish that I think surpasses the taste. My husband swooned! I made it again for SuperBowl! I'm inviting friends over for it soon, it's that bread-sopping good! Yes, this is a recipe I am definitely most proud of. —anotherfoodieblogger

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Ingredients
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons chili sauce (found in the ketchup aisle)
  • 3 tablespoons Worcesterhire sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke (I used Stubb’s Mesquite)
  • 2 tablespoons fresh-squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon Cajun (Creole) seasoning
  • Pinch of cayenne pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon Sriracha sauce
  • 1/4 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried spicy or Mexican oregano
  • 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
  • Generous amounts of ground black pepper, to taste
  • 1/2 pound large or jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • Prepared refrigerated polenta
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • Chopped parsley, green onion, and lemon for garnish
  • Lots of crusty bread for sopping up the sauce!
Directions
  1. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat, then add all the ingredients through to the ground pepper. You may want to add the spicy spices a little at a time until the spice level suits your tastes.
  2. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 5 minutes until it’s reduced just a tad. Add the shrimp to a casserole dish, then pour the sauce over it, stirring around to coat. Spread the shrimp around so they’re in a single layer. Cover and place in refrigerator for 1 to up to 4 hours.
  3. About a half hour before you are ready to eat, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. When preheated, place shrimp dish uncovered in oven for 15-20 minutes.
  4. Meanwhile, slice the polenta into 1/2-inch or so cakes. Add 1 tablespoon of butter to a skillet over medium-high heat, then fry the polenta cakes on each side until slightly browned.
  5. Place two polenta cakes in a bowl, then add desired amount of shrimp over the cakes, pouring generous amounts of the BBQ sauce over it. Garnish with additional chopped parsley and green onion. Serve with a crusty bread, for sopping up all the sauce. Try not to fight over who gets to mop up the last of the sauce out of the casserole dish.

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2 Reviews

meganvt01 February 17, 2021
Hello! Just wanted to make sure you saw our contest rules (https://food52.com/blog...) and that we would like to see the name and location of the restaurant that inspired your dish in the head note. Thanks!
anotherfoodieblogger February 17, 2021
Thank you I have edited the recipe!