Why This Recipe Works

This robustly flavored Cajun dish, also known as Acadian Peppered Shrimp, features shrimp cooked in a garlicky butter sauce spiked with herbs, spices, Worcestershire sauce, and a hefty dose of black pepper. We began by patting a pound of large shrimp dry so that they wouldn’t spatter when they hit the hot butter. We melted butter in a large skillet and infused it with minced garlic, a homemade seasoning blend typical in the dish (dried herbs, paprika, cayenne, and onion and garlic powders), along with lemon juice and the Worcestershire sauce. Arranging the shrimp in a single layer in the seasoned butter ensured they all finished at the same time; we also flipped them midway through cooking so that both sides cooked evenly.

Before You Begin

Dried rosemary can be coarse. We suggest crumbling between your fingertips or in your spice grinder before using. We prefer untreated shrimp, but if your shrimp are treated with salt or additives such as sodium tripolyphosphate (STPP), reduce the salt to ¼ teaspoon. If preferred, you can substitute 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning for the rosemary, oregano, basil, and thyme. This dish is saucy and buttery; serve it with crusty bread or over angel hair pasta or white rice to soak up the sauce.

Instructions

Pat 1 pound large shrimp (peeled and deveined) dry with paper towels. Melt 12 tablespoons unsalted butter in 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Stir in 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 3 minced garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, 2 bay leaves, 1 tablespoon pepper, 2 teaspoons dried rosemary (crumbled), 2 teaspoons dried oregano, 2 teaspoons dried basil, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon paprika, ½ teaspoon table salt, ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper, and pinch ground nutmeg. Cook until fragrant, about 3 minutes.

Increase heat to medium-high and add shrimp in single layer. Cook until bottoms of shrimp are light pink, about 2 minutes. Working quickly, flip shrimp and cook until just cooked through and pink all over, about 2 minutes longer. Discard bay leaves. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons chopped parsley. Serve with 1 quartered lemon.