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TIME: 15 MINUTES

THIS IS AN old New Orleans recipe that has nothing to do with grilling or barbecuing. Its name comes from the spicy, slightly smoky flavor the shrimp gain while being cooked with Worcestershire sauce and lots of black pepper. It’s a fine and almost absurdly fast dish—once the shrimp are peeled, you can have it on the table in ten minutes, and that’s no exaggeration—with a creamy, rich, savory sauce that completely belies the amount of effort required on your part.

4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter

1½ to 2 pounds shrimp, peeled and, if you like, deveined

2 tablespoons Worcestershire or soy sauce

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Juice of 1 lemon

1. Put the butter in a skillet over high heat; when it melts, add the shrimp and Worcestershire sauce. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is glossy and thick and the shrimp uniformly pink, about 5 minutes. If at any point the sauce threatens to dry out, add a tablespoon or two of water.

2. When the shrimp are done, add salt to taste and ½ teaspoon or more pepper, then stir in the lemon juice. Serve over rice or with bread.

VARIATIONS

• Use 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar in place of the Worcestershire sauce; omit the lemon juice.

• Use 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard and 1 tablespoon of water in place of the Worcestershire sauce.

SHRIMP IN YELLOW CURRY

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

TIME: 30 MINUTES

THAI DISHES CALLED curries contain curry powder and a combination of herbs and aromatic vegetables. A typical dish might feature a mixture of garlic, shallots, chiles, lime leaf, sugar, and galangal or ginger. This curry, which features coconut milk, is just such a dish. Serve it with white or sticky rice.

2 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil

1 cup minced onion

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger

1 teaspoon minced fresh chiles or hot red pepper flakes to taste

1 tablespoon curry powder, or to taste

1 cup fresh or canned coconut milk

1½ to 2 pounds medium to large shrimp, peeled and, if you like, deveined

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons nam pla or nuoc mam (fish sauce), or to taste

¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro or mint

1. Put the oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, ginger, and chiles and cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are tender and the mixture pasty. Add the curry powder and cook, stirring, for another minute.

2. Add the coconut milk and raise the heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring only occasionally, until the mixture is reduced by about half. (The dish can be prepared to this point a few hours in advance.)

3. Add the shrimp, a few pinches of salt, and a little black pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until the shrimp release their liquid (the mixture will become quite moist again) and turn pink, 5 to 10 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon nam pla, stir, then taste and add the rest if necessary. Garnish with cilantro.

STEAMED SHRIMP WITH LEMONGRASS-COCONUT SAUCE

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

TIME: 30 MINUTES, PLUS TIME TO CHILL

DEALING WITH THE lemongrass is the sole challenge of this dish, and only if you’ve never done it before. Maximum flavor is released from whole lemongrass stalks when they are beaten up a bit; bruising the length of each stalk with the blunt edge of a knife takes care of this in seconds. But to include lemongrass in a sauce you must first remove the tough outer layers—this is not unlike peeling a woody scallion—and then carefully and finely mince the inner core.

2 lemongrass stalks

1 tablespoon nam pla (fish sauce)

2 limes

1 pound shrimp, peeled and, if you like, deveined

1 small dried chile

½ cup fresh or canned coconut milk

1½ teaspoons sugar

Pinch of saffron threads or ½ teaspoon ground turmeric or curry powder

Salt

1. Trim the ends from the lemongrass, then bruise one of the stalks all over with the back of a knife. Cut it in half and put the halves in the bottom of a saucepan with the nam pla. Squeeze the juice of one of the limes into the pot, then throw the lime halves in there. Top with the