Crab-stuffed BBQ Shrimp

Mmm... The other evening I made what the Hubs claimed "the best meal you've (me) made in a year." Although I'm not sure what that says about all of the other meals I've proudly created and served, I'm taking it as a compliment. The Hubs usually doesn't go overboard when complimenting food - that's more my department. Hey, at least you know the way to my heart: a great meal!

And, since it was such a success, I thought I'd share the recipe with you - enjoy!

Crab-stuffed BBQ Shrimp*

 

Ingredients - 

1 tbsp. fat (I use leftover bacon grease - a trick my parents taught me)
3 tbsp. of chopped onion
2 tbsp. of chopped celery
2 tbsp. of chopped bell pepper
1/4 of a fresh jalapeno - seeds removed and minced 
1 tbsp. (about 1 clove) minced garlic
2 tbsp. flour
1/4 cup milk 
3 tbsp. bread crumbs 
3 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce 

Salt & Pepper (to taste) 

1 cup fresh, cooked crab meat (I prefer claw meet as I think it's more flavorful and sweeter than lump)

Juice from 1/2 a lemon

2 tbsp. fresh chopped flat leaf Italian parsley

1 lb. fresh shrimp, butterflied & de-veined, tail-on

Saute the onion, celery and peppers in fat over med-low heat until soft. Add the garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds. Add the flour and whisk until the mixture forms a thick paste. Whisk in the milk until it is incorporated into the thick mixture. Add the breadcrumbs, Worcestershire, salt and pepper. Gently fold in the fresh crab meat. Add the Italian parsley and lemon juice and remove from heat. Allow to cool a bit before stuffing shrimp.

Now it's time to stuff the shrimp! The butterflying of the shrimp should have cut the shrimp almost entirely in half (so you have a place to stuff your crab mixture). take a shrimp - open the butterfly and stuff a generous mound of the crab mixture into the opening. Then, "top" with another opened, butterflied shrimp. Place each of the stuffed shrimp onto a broiling pan and broil on high about 5 minutes per side, basting the the BBQ sauce (recipe below) as they cook.

For BBQ sauce - 

1 tbsp. butter

3 tbsp. chopped onion

1 tbsp. minced garlic

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

3 tbsp. brown sugar

1 cup catsup

1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

Dash of hot sauce

Salt & Pepper (to taste)

Saute the onion in the butter until soft and translucent. Add the garlic cook for another 30 seconds. Add the apple cider vinegar and the next five ingredients and simmer over a low heat for at least 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Use to baste crab-stuffed shrimp.

I served the crab stuffed shrimp with a Cesar salad and called it a meal - delish :-) Enjoy! 

*Now, I do have to share that I simply added my touches to a recipe (of the same name) from the original River Roads Recipes cookbook, published and distributed by the Junior League of Baton Rouge. Many thanks to my sweet Grandmama for giving me my very own copy of RRR :-)