Ingredients :

• Shrimp — Frozen peeled shrimp work very well here, provided they are completely thawed and patted dry with paper towels—if they’re wet, they’ll boil rather than sear. Size 16/20 or 21/25: large enough to hold up in the sauce, small enough to cook in two to three minutes.
• Unsalted butter — Real butter, preferably unsalted, because Cajun spices already bring salt. No margarine, no light versions—the sauce holds together thanks to the fat, period.
• Fresh garlic — No powder here, really. Fresh minced garlic cooking in hot butter makes a difference you can smell before the first bite. Four to five cloves for four people, finely chopped.
• Cajun spice blend — A ready-made packet works (McCormick or otherwise), but the homemade mix takes two minutes: smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, thyme, cayenne. You control the exact heat, and you know what’s in it.