Planked Big Easy Shrimp

I've been dreaming about this dish ever since my mom mailed me an article from a magazine about cooking New Orleans style shrimp on a cedar plank. Jason and I love seafood, but most native Louisianaians do! About a month ago, We grilled some tilapia on a cedar plank and it was delish! You can buy cedar planks at any grocery store or Lowe's. I bought 2 planks for about $7.00. The plank adds a smoky, cedar flavor that can't be beat. We sprayed the fish with butter and then seasoned it with Tony's, garlic powder, Old Bay, etc. It was super simple and cooked in about 15 minutes! Here is a picture of it (click to enlarge):

Tonight we were feeling a little more adventurous so we decided to grill some shrimp on the cedar plank. It turned out so good! Before using the cedar planks, they need to be soaked in water for about an hour. I didn't have a pan quite big enough for the plank, so I had to get creative. I used a piece of foil and a wine bottle to keep the plank submerged. This picture makes me laugh! Like I've said before, no need for fancy pots and pans!

While the plank was soaking, I marinated about a pound of shrimp in: 4 tablespoons of melted butter, a dash of Lea and Perrins, 1 teaspoon of BBQ sauce, 2 teaspoons of Old Bay Blackening Seasoning, and a little garlic powder. We pre-heated the plank on the grill for about 3 minutes, flipped it, and then placed the marinated shrimp on the plank. For a little spice we sliced up a fresh jalapeno and placed it on top of the shrimp. Here's a picture of shrimp right after we placed them on the grill:

The shrimp cooked in about 15 minutes! Here's a picture of the plank right before we took it off the grill (We also grilled some sweet corn):

Here's a picture of the final product - a success!

     Get Cookin' !