“Bet you can’t eat just one.”
That was the unmistakable provocation blurted by our hostess (Eddie) as we walked into her kitchen a couple of weeks ago.
While the precise wording of my droll retort escapes memory this morning, it was something along the lines of anybody taking even a fleeting glance at me would understand immediately that I don’t eat “just one” of anything.
(She Who Must Be Obeyed cackled that she couldn’t remember the last time I ate only one of anything. Little did she know but she lost her shot at her new 5 weight right then….)
Eddie was right.
Her Tabasco Shrimp were good. Outrageously good. Maybe the best grilled shrimp we’ve ever had good.
And damn, no way could anyone east just one.
These could be great superbowl party fare, that is if you live in a part of the country where grilling might be possible this frigid weekend.
And there’s another tiny catch.
The real secret to this recipe is a home-made tabasco style sauce that is incredibly simple but it takes a week (at least) to mature. The real Tabasco sauce (a huge favorite of ours) will certainly work, but you’ll need to add a little sugar to it to approximate Eddie’s sauce if you plan to cook these shrimp for your party on Sunday (see below).
Otherwise, this is probably the most ridiculously simple recipe we’ve ever posted on Chi Wulff, except maybe the time we posted the Slim Jims and Rockstar lunch a couple of summers ago. Sometimes simplicity hides inescapable genius.
Hell, even the Pedantic Ass could cook this one.
Eddie’s Tabasco Sauce
1 cup dried cayenne peppers, stemmed and seeded
1 cup fresh cayenne peppers (Thai Dragons or other long skinny reds are OK), stemmed
2 cups apple cider vinegar
3 tbs sugar in the raw
1.5 tbs kosher saltThe Shrimp
1 cup Eddies Tabasco sauce (or one cup of ‘the real Tabasco’ with 2 tbs sugar)
2 tbs olive oil
1 pound large shrimp, peeled, deveined and rinsed.
Make the sauce. Grind the dried peppers in a food processor, then add the fresh peppers and process to a fine pulp. Scrape into a lidded jar and add the cider vinegar, sugar and salt. Mix well, screw the lid on and place in a dark cabinet for a week or so.
Strain through a fine strainer and use just like the commercial sauce. Be careful though, you’ll probably like this one better.
Marinate the shrimp. Combine the shrimp, Tabasco sauce and olive oil in a flat bottomed medium bowl or dish. Marinate (chilled) for two hours. Yawn, scratch, have a beer.
Grill ‘em up. Drain, and grill on a hot grill for 2 minutes per side. Don’t go much longer or they’ll be tough. (Tip – thread onto metal skewers to make it easier to turn and pull them with such a short cook time.)
Eddie served hers with more of her magic Tabasco sauce on the side, cold beer and a Caribbean style rice.
You won’t eat just one either.
Enjoy.
Tags: Friday Feast
