BBQ Shrimp

Note:
This dish is prepared only two servings at a time because increasing the number of shrimp beyond 12 would require increasing the dish’s amount of sauce, which has to be reduced. Reducing the larger amount of sauce would require more cooking time. This additional cooking time would result in over-cooked shrimp.

Special equipment:
A 10-inch stainless-steel sauté pan.

12 raw colossal shrimp, unpeeled, with heads and tails left on
2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper*
2 teaspoons Creole seasoning
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon water
half of 1 lemon, seeded
1/4 pound (1 stick) cold, unsalted butter, preferably Plugra or other European-style butter, cut into 1/2- inch cubes
warm, crusty French bread, for serving

*To coarse-grind the peppercorns, use a blender or peppermill. The grind is important to the taste of the finished dish.

1. Place the unpeeled shrimp, worcestershire, coarsely and finely ground black pepper, Creole seasoning, garlic, and water in a 10-inch, stainless steel sauté pan. Squeeze the juice from the lemon half over the shrimp and add the rind and pulp to the pan.
2. Over high heat, cook the shrimp while gently stirring and occasionally turning the shrimp.
3. After about 2 minutes of cooking the shrimp should start turning pink on both sides, indicating they are nearly half cooked.
4. If the shrimp are the colossal size, now add 2 tablespoons water to the pan.
5. Reduce the heat level to medium-high and continue cooking as you gradually add the cold pieces of butter to the pan. While turning the shrimp occasionally, swirl the butter pieces until they are incorporated into the pan juices, and the sauce turns light brown and creamy as it simmers, and the shrimp are just cooked through. This will take about 2 minutes total if cooking extra-large shrimp, and about 3 minutes total if cooking colossal-size shrimp. Do not overcook the shrimp.

Pour the shrimp and sauce into a heated pasta bowl with the lemon half-turned, cut side down, in the center. Serve the shrimp and sauce immediately, alongside slices of warm, crusty French bread for sopping up the sauce.