Saucy Broiled Shrimp

Tucked in the heart of downtown Asheville, North Carolina, Table is a beloved New American restaurant helmed by two-time James Beard Award nominee and acclaimed chef Jacob Sessoms. Table’s summer menu features a bold dish consisting of fresh, peel-and-eat-style jumbo shrimp that are broiled in a sweet and spicy barbecue sauce. The secret to the sauce’s tangy deliciousness? The addition of fish sauce and an “easy-drinking beer” (Sessoms suggests Miller High Life, Coors Banquet, or Narragansett Beer’s Lager). Don’t skip the toasted baguette; you’ll use it to scoop up any leftover sauce.

Ingredients

Saucy Whole-Broiled Carolina Shrimp in Vietnamese BBQ Sauce (Yield: 4–6 servings)

1 baguette
Olive oil of choice
Salt and cracked pepper to taste
1 lb. whole jumbo shrimp, shell on
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp. fish sauce
1 tbsp. sorghum or maple syrup
1 tbsp. lime juice
1 tbsp. hot sauce
2 tbsp. easy-drinking beer
1 tbsp. butter
Cilantro, for garnish
Mint, for garnish

Preparation

Set broiler to low.

Toast the baguette: Tear baguette by hand into 3-inch pieces. Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and cracked pepper, and place on a sheet pan. Broil baguette under broiler for 2 minutes. Remove and set aside.

Make the shrimp: Wash shrimp, toss in olive oil, and add a generous amount of salt and pepper. Put shrimp into a small, oven-proof dish with all remaining ingredients except butter, cilantro, and mint. Set dish under broiler for 3 minutes.

Carefully remove the dish from the oven, then stir and flip shrimp. Put dish back under broiler for 3 more minutes. Remove from oven and stir in butter.

Plate the shrimp (about four per plate) and place a few torn mint leaves and cilantro on each serving. Spoon sauce from the dish around the plate. Serve with toasted baguette.