Emeril's Favorite Stuffed Shrimp

Emeril Lagasse's Childhood Dish

From the kitchen of Emeril Lagasse

Ingredients

5 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 pound fresh lump crabmeat, picked over for shells and cartilage

2 1/4 teaspoons Baby Bam (recipe below)

1/2 cup yellow onions, minced

1/4 cup celery, minced

1/4 cup green bell pepper, minced

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely chopped

1 tablespoon garlic, minced

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1 egg, lightly beaten

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 1/2 teaspoons Emeril's Hot Sauce or other red hot sauce

1 1/2 cups Ritz crackers, crushed

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

20 fresh jumbo shrimp (about 2 pounds), peeled, leaving tail and first connecting shell segment, de-veined, and butterflied lengthwise

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted for drizzling over the shrimp

1 lemon, cut into wedges

Baby Bam

3 tablespoons paprika

2 tablespoons salt

2 tablespoons dried parsley

2 teaspoons onion powder

2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon celery salt

Cooking Directions

Position rack in center of oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Using 1 tablespoon of butter, grease a large baking dish and set aside.

Place the crabmeat in a large bowl and season with 2 teaspoons of the Baby Bam. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.

n a medium skillet, melt the remaining 4 tablespoons of the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onion, celery, and bell pepper and cook, stirring, until softened, about 4 minutes. Add 1/4 cup of the parsley and the garlic, and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Remove from heat and let cool.

Add the cooled vegetables to the crabmeat and toss to combine. Add the mayonnaise, beaten egg, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce and stir gently with a large wooden spoon. Add 1 cup of the cracker crumbs, the salt, and pepper, and stir gently, being careful not to break up the crabmeat.

Season the peeled, deveined shrimp lightly with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of the Baby Bam. Mound about 2 tablespoons of the crabmeat stuffing onto the top of each shrimp, pressing gently so that stuffing sticks to shrimp.

Place the shrimp, stuffed sides up, in the prepared baking dish and sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of the cracker crumbs over the tops of the shrimp. Drizzle with the melted butter. Using oven mitts or pot holders, place the baking dish in the oven and bake until golden brown, about 25 minutes.

Using oven mitts or pot holders, remove the baking dish from the oven and divide the shrimp among plates. Garnish with the remaining tablespoon of parsley and the lemon wedges. Serve immediately.

Baby Bam

Here's something to season children's food the way adults do with Emeril's Original Essence. Give food another dimension by sprinkling Baby Bam into everything, from soups and sauces to pizza and hamburger patties. Fearless bammers out there can kick this up a notch by adding cayenne (I'd start with about 1/4 teaspoon, and then take it from there.)

Place all the ingredients in a small mixing bowl and stir well to combine, using a wooden spoon. Then store in an airtight container for up to 3 months.