Baton Rouge Catholic Radio & BBQ Shrimp

I had the privilege this morning of being on Wake Up Baton Rouge Live on WPYR 1380 AM. Deacon Jodi Moscona, David Dawson, and I had a great conversation. And here’s a secret: it looks like I’ll be appearing regularly on the show, which broadcasts from 7:00 to 8:00 AM Central time on Fridays. The Friday shows are a light and fun way to kick off the weekend in the Greater Baton Rouge area. You can also catch the show online and via iTunes.

This morning we did talk about the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. A terrible situation. Devastating. The finger-pointing has begun, and I am sure it will get uglier in the coming weeks.

But we did have a fun conversation talking about one of my favorite topics:food! Since seafood has been on my mind because of the oil spill, I decided to share a recipe for New Orleans style BBQ Shrimp. My mouth was watering just thinking about it. I mean it. I could actually smell those shrimp a’ cookin’. Mmmmm.

I want to share a few shrimp recipes with you today, including one for BBQ Shrimp. But it’s not my recipe, yet it’s very similar. I will post my recipe soon. Anyway, you can find today’s recipes below.

OK. Here’s the inside scoop on this post. I actually started writing this one yesterday afternoon. It was originally about the oil spill. But the news has been developing so rapidly that what I wrote was already outdated when I woke up this morning. But, in case you haven’t heard, I’ll share last evening’s post with you anyway:

The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is unfortunate. Oil spills result in terrible damage to the environment… and to our food supply.

In an attempt to protect the shrimp crop this year (for economic reasons… and perhaps culinary?), the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries opened a special shrimp season in some areas.

This is from the press release published by the LDWF:

Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Secretary Robert Barham,  announced that a special shrimp season will open at 6:00 p.m., April 28, 2010 in that portion of Breton and Chandeleur Sounds known as the double-rig line as described in LA R.S.56:495.1.  These waters will remain open to shrimp harvesting until further notice.

The opening dates for the 2010 spring inshore shrimp season will be considered by the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission at the May 6 meeting to be held at LDWF headquarters.

So what does this mean for us foodies?

Well, first of all, it means a little more shrimp exposure in the media. This is good for business and for our plates. In the media, on the mind. I’m already thinking of all the scrumptious dishes I can prepare!

And secondly, (lucky for us) there will be plenty of shrimp in the markets so that we can prepare those dishes.

What kind of dishes are on my mind?

• Shrimp Po-boys
• Boiled Shrimp
• Shrimp Creole
• Shrimp Etouffe
• Shrimp Remoulade
• New Orleans Style BBQ Shrimp

I want to include Shrimp Pizza in this list, but it’s not really a recipe, per se. But there are many awesome toppings that go nicely with shrimp. Try these on for size:

• Shrimp, fresh basil, roasted garlic, crumbled feta cheese, with a garlic sauce (Could also use basil pesto for the sauce)
• Shrimp, roasted red peppers, roasted garlic, fresh cilantro, with a tomato sauce
• Shrimp, sun-dried tomatoes, fresh basil, roasted garlic, purple onion, roasted red peppers, with a tomato sauce

That’s just a couple of ideas. But maybe they’ll get you thinking.

What’s your favorite shrimp dish?