As I sit here writing this article, Hurricane Barry has made landfall in Louisiana. Every year when June 1st comes around, I am reminded how I came to live in Searcy. Hurricane Katrina is the reason we moved here. While it was a big adjustment, I’m glad we are here.
Hurricanes can cause wide-spread destruction. One of the biggest issues can be the loss of power to your home. This can happen during any tropical storm. For minor disturbances, often people get together in the strongest house to ride out the storm. If the power goes out and you have an electric stove, your best bet is to cook with your grill.
While you can cook any dish on the grill using your pots and pans, traditional grilled dishes make wonderful meals. Today, I am sharing with you a couple of grilled dishes, Barbecued Grilled Shrimp Louisiana Style and my version of a Cajun Burger. Since we are talking about hurricanes, I have also included a non-alcoholic Hurricane recipe.
If you need to eat shrimp that you have in the freezer, here is a great grilled preparation. The BBQ shrimp that I often make does not have BBQ sauce or cooked on a grill. This recipe is closer to the name BBQ Shrimp. Both versions are not to be missed.
Barbecued Grilled Shrimp Louisiana Style
1 1/2 cups Barbecue Sauce, divided
1/2 cup Lemon Juice
1 teaspoon fresh Dill, minced
1 teaspoon Black Pepper
1 teaspoon Lemon Pepper
1 teaspoon Garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Onion, minced
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) Melted Butter
1/2 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
1/3 cup Olive Oil
2 tablespoons Hot Sauce
2 to 3 pounds medium-sized Shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 cups Wood Chips
Combine 1/2 cup barbecue sauce with lemon juice, dill, pepper, lemon pepper, garlic, onion, butter, cayenne, olive oil and hot sauce. Place 3/4 of the marinade into a bowl. Add the shrimp and marinate for 15 to 30 minutes. Combine remaining 1/4 of the marinade with 1 cup of the barbecue sauce, to use for basting. Soak wood chips while grill is warming up. Place shrimp on a seafood grilling tray. When grill is hot and wood chips are smoking, place shrimp on grill. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes, basting with sauce constantly.
Hamburgers are a great hurricane meal. Most people have ground beef in their freezer. The seasonings that I use to make my burgers are salt, paprika, granulated garlic, granulated onion and Worcestershire sauce. The rémoulade sauce can be put on ice instead of a refrigerator.
Cajun Burgers
Rémoulade Sauce
1/2 cup Chili Sauce
1/2 cup Creole Mustard
2 tablespoons Paprika
1/2 teaspoon Salt
2 tablespoons Lemon Juice
1/4 teaspoon Tabasco or any Hot Sauce (optional)
1/2 teaspoon Pureed Garlic
1 cup Olive Oil
In a bowl, combine all ingredients except the oil. Add the oil in a thin stream while whisking. Refrigerate for at least one hour. Before using, stir to incorporate any oil that has come to the surface.
4 Hamburger Patties, seasoned to taste
1 pound Andouille Sausage, cut into 4 links, then sliced lengthwise
4 sliced Pepper Jack Cheese or any cheese
4 Hamburger Buns
Rémoulade Sauce
Preheat grill to medium. Cook hamburgers to desired temperature. Cook Andouille until it is warmed thru, about 3-4 minutes per side. Melt cheese over burgers before removing from heat. To assemble the burger: place a cheese-covered patty on the bottom of the bun. Top with a piece of Andouille and 2-3 tablespoons of Rémoulade sauce. Top with bun top and serve.
The Hurricane drink was invented at Pat O’Brien’s, a French Quarter legend. During World War 2, rum was very plentiful, coming from the Caribbean. In order to buy a case of of other liquor, suppliers required you to buy a large amount of rum. To sell the rum, the Hurricane was invented. It is a very tasty drink without the rum. Here is a non-alcoholic recipe.
Non-Alcoholic Hurricane
3 ounces Orange Juice
3 ounces Unsweetened Pineapple Juice
½ ounce Grenadine Syrup
Combine all ingredients. Mix well, either shaking or stirring. Pour over crushed ice and serve immediately.
If you want to sample the hurricane they way it was invented, add 3 ounces of different rums, one being a dark rum.
Of course, these recipes are great anytime you want to light up the grill. It is always good to have a few grilled recipes in case you have an electric stove that is out. A few years ago, I switched out my electric stove for a gas one. Even without electricity, I can always cook dinner.
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