I see them nearly every week: those big, beautiful kebabs of shrimp or fish in the supermarket's fresh-seafood case.

Sometimes, they have vegetables sandwiched between chunks of fresh seafood, and sometimes it's just the jumbo shrimp. Either way, they beckon me. But I never seem to buy them.

KATS BARRY/United Media

Simple Seafood Barbecue Sauce is perfect when brushed onto shrimp kebabs during the last few minutes of grilling. Use it for dipping, too.

Then, last week, I found myself standing in the kitchen threading jumbo shrimp onto bamboo skewers, and it hit me: I wouldn't have to do this if I bought them ready to go. Granted, it's not hard to peel and thread a few shrimp onto a skewer. By the time I'd finished, though, we could have been eating if I'd started with the ready-to-go variety.

Today's recipe celebrates ready-to-grill seafood kebabs with an all-purpose barbecue sauce. Just stir the sauce together right before you grill or up to a week ahead (or even three months ahead if you freeze the sauce). This sauce is delicious on almost any seafood, from shrimp to swordfish.

Write to Desperation Dinners, c/o United Media, 200 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10016.

In a 2-quart saucepan, heat oil and melt butter on medium. Add garlic, and cook 30 seconds. Add chicken broth, chile sauce, seafood seasoning, Worcestershire sauce and Tabasco sauce. Stir well and raise heat to medium high. Bring to a boil. Boil and stir occasionally for 5 to 7 minutes to reduce by a third and thicken. Remove sauce from heat and use. Or cool and refrigerate, covered, for up to 1 week. The sauce also can be frozen in small portions in freezer-weight plastic containers for up to three months. Defrost in refrigerator, and use within three days.

To use the sauce: Brush on shrimp or seafood kebabs during the last few minutes while grilling over medium-low heat, until seafood is done to personal preference. Additional sauce can be passed for dipping at the table.

Makes about 2 cups.

Note: Chile sauce (sometimes spelled chili) is found near the ketchup in most supermarkets. There are several brands. For testing purposes, we used Heinz Chili Sauce. We used Paul Prudhomme's Seafood Magic as the Cajun seafood seasoning, but any brand will do.

PER TABLESPOON (SAUCE ONLY): Calories 23 (50% fat) Fat 1 g (trace sat) Cholesterol 1 mg Sodium 210 mg Fiber 1 g Carbohydrates 2 g Trace protein

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