Shrimps in "The Whole Sha-Bang" Sauce

My family & I love trying out different restaurants. But I know you'll agree with me when I say that eating out can be really expensive...and the worst is there are times when the food we eat aren't worth the money we are paying! That for me is so disappointing! So to avoid this, we try to eat out less often. I cook most of the time and we just save eating out for Sundays and special occasions. And when there's a restaurant food that we really like, I try to recreate it at home. Doing that is a lot less expensive and definitely, a lot healthier! This recipe that I am sharing with you today is an example of that. You see, there's this restaurant here called The Boiling Crab where we've tasted the best Cajun Shrimp...but at $10 per pound (which is more than double the price for the jumbo prawns that we usually buy at El Rancho or the Asian store that we go to), the hubs & I both think that it's kinda expensive...and considering the long waiting time we have to go through before we get seated, we'd rather cook it at home. Besides, this dish is very easy to prepare. The only problem is knowing the exact spices that they use to make what they call "The Whole Sha-Bang Sauce" which they say is a combo of their rajun cajun, lemon pepper and garlic sauce. I've been trying to experiment on this for a year now...and finally, I am ready to share the recipe with you... 

This is my version of The Boiling Crab's The Whole Sha-Bang Sauce. Let me make it clear that this is not The Boiling Crab's exact recipe. I might have missed or added some ingredients, but I must tell you that this tastes so close to the original!

Want to know if that's true? Try it yourself! ;)

Ingredients

• 1½ lb shrimps, head on
• 1 Tbsp cajun seasoning
• ½ - 2 Tbsp cayenne powder (depending on how "hot" you can tolerate) 
• ½ - 2 Tbsp chili powder (depending on how "hot" you can tolerate)
• 2 Tbsp paprika
• 1 tsp basil
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1/8 cup garlic powder
• 1 Tbsp lemon pepper
• 1 stick butter
• 1/3 cup lemon juice
• ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
• 1/3 cup water
• 4 medium sized potatoes, quartered or you can use 8-10 pcs. Russet baby potatoes
• 1 lemon, sliced 
• 3 Tbsp minced garlic

Instructions:

1. In a pan over medium heat, mix all ingredients except shrimp, potatoes, sliced lemon and garlic. When adding the cayenne and chili powder, start with about ½ Tbsp each first. Simmer until all ingredients are incorporated. Do a taste test as you simmer. Adjust the amount of cayenne and chili powder according to your liking. Add potatoes and simmer while stirring for about 10 minutes or until potatoes are cooked.

2. Once potatoes are cooked, add shrimps and stir for 3 minutes or until they are cooked. Turn off heat then add garlic and sliced lemon. Mix until well combined with other ingredients. Cover for 5 minutes before serving.

Note: You can also precook the shrimps and potatoes and just toss them into the sauce. But if you want the flavor of the sauce to be fully absorbed by the shrimps and potatoes, the above cooking method is advisable.