Skip to main content

Shrimp Creole

New Orleans has style and flavor, and if one dish stands out as an ambassador to the culture it just might be Shrimp Creole.


Ensconced in a rich gravy flavored with the honored trinity of green pepper, celery and onion, and Cajun Andouille sausage, the shrimp are glazed with a tomato sauce thickened with a classic roux. As the famous, late chef Paul Prudhomme of New Orleans professed, layering many different peppers into the mix develops dimensions of flavor for most any New Orleans dish.


I used the classic roux as a thickening agent - though some use cornstarch.  I feel the nutty aroma of the roux and its distinctive texture are a real flavor and body asset to this dish.



Roux:

4 Tbsp butter (1/2 stick)

1/4 cup all purpose white flour


1 lb large shrimp (20-25/lb)

1 medium green pepper, diced

3 stalks celery, diced

1 medium yellow onion, peeled and diced

1 link Andouille sausage (I used D’Artagnion brand), diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves, minced, or 1 tsp dried

14.5 oz can petite diced tomatoes, drained, liquid reserved


8 oz bottle clam (or lobster) juice

2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce


Melt the butter in a small saucepan.  Add the flour and slowly cook over medium-low heat to thicken the roux; it should just be bubbling.  Whisk often as the roux foams and slightly darkens.  You want a cashew-colored beige roux - if you darken it too much (walnut brown), its thickening power will diminish, though its flavor will be great.  You should have a pleasant nutty-smelling mixture. This will take about 10-15 minutes.


Meanwhile, sauté the trinity of green pepper, celery and onion in a dash of oil in a larger pot.  Cook the trinity for about 5 minutes, and add the sausage.  

Cook another 5 minutes or so, until veggies are softened and a bit caramelized.  Add the garlic and thyme and cook another 2-3 minutes.


Season with black pepper, crushed red pepper and white pepper, to taste.  Mixing different peppers adds layers of flavor dimensions to a Cajun dish, according to the late chef Paul Prudhomme of New Orleans. And I agree.


Add the drained tomatoes and turn up the heat a bit.  

Add a dash more oil if necessary to sauté (not boil) the tomatoes.  Sautéing distinctly develops their flavor, so make sure they fry, not boil. You should hear a slight crackle of frying, not the whoosh of steaming/boiling.


Now scrape the roux with a spatula into the veggie mixture and stir to mix well.  Cook a minute or two. Add the reserved tomato liquid along with the clam juice and Worcestershire sauce. You should have a thick, bubbling gravy. Simmer on medium-low for at least 15-20 minutes, stirring often. Make sure the sauce only simmers and barely boils.

If you are serving the shrimp with rice, now would be a good time to prepare the rice.


While the gravy develops, try this optional flavoring element. Peel the shrimp and toss the shells into a medium pot with a dash of olive oil.  Sauté the shells over medium heat for a few minutes.  The aroma will captivate you.  Add a cup of water and simmer for 5 minutes or so.  Strain the mixture and reserve the liquid.  Discard the shells.  This broth will add a great deal of flavor complexity to the dish.  Add the shell broth or about 1/2 cup water into the gravy to thin just to achieve a nice saucy consistency.


Add the peeled shrimp to the Creole sauce and cook for 2-3 minutes, only until the shrimp are cooked through and no longer.  

Overcooking the shrimp will make them tough.


Serve the shrimp Creole with rice, if desired.


Serves 4.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Chicken Piccata over Squid Ink Pasta

Serve this delicious lemony piccata over your favorite pasta. 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/2-inch thick cutlets 1/4 cup flour 1 lemon sliced and de-seeded  2 Tbsp butter plus 1 Tbsp olive oil 2 Tbsp capers 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/4 cup dry white wine crushed red pepper flakes, to taste 8 oz squid ink pasta fresh parsley for garnish Melt butter in the oil in a skillet.  Fry the lemon slices for a few minutes, just until beginning to brown.   Set aside on a plate.  Lightly salt and pepper each chicken breast.  Dredge the chicken in the flour and brown the first side of each in the butter mixture in the skillet.  Flip to brown second side.  Cook over low heat for a total of about 15 minutes.   Meanwhile, bring 2 quarts of well-salted water to a boil for the pasta.  Cook until just al dente. Remove chicken to a plate when cooked through. Add capers and garlic to skillet a...

Umami Beef Short Ribs Samin Nosrat

This is the penultimate prep for beef short ribs.  Based on the superb documentary by Samin Nosrat, Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat, this is the most umami rib dish you will ever have.  Its the combination of red miso and soy sauce that marinates and flavors the beef - give it a long time to work right - that means overnight in the fridge; it's worth the planning ahead. 6 beef short ribs on the bone, about 3-4 lb 1 large sweet yellow onion, diced 2 stalks celery, diced 1 jalapeño pepper, minced 4 cloves garlic, halved Marinade: 1/4 cup red miso 1/4 cup soy sauce 1/4 cup pale dry sherry or Mirin rice wine 1 Tbsp sesame oil 1 Tbsp honey 2 cloves garlic, minced Salt the ribs generously with coarse salt and let rest overnight in the refrigerator in a resealable plastic bag. Whisk together the marinade.   Pour into the plastic bag and allow to marinate on the counter for about 2-3 hours, or again overnight in the refrigerator. Preheat...

Baked Grouper with Mushroom Wine Sauce

Fresh fish baked in a creamy mushroom sauce is always a rich reward after a hard day's work. 3/4 lb grouper (or other favorite white fish) cut into 2 portions Sauce: 2 Tbsp butter 1/2 cup onion, very finely diced 2 cloves garlic, minced through a press 1/3 cup pale dry sherry or dry white wine 1/3 cup half and half or cream 1 Tbsp corn starch 1 4-oz can mushrooms, drained and liquid reserved Preheat oven to 375F.  Sauté the onions in the butter, in a sauce pan for about 8-10 minutes, until slightly caramelized.  Add the garlic and cook for about 2 more minutes.  Add the sherry and half and half, and bring to a gentle boil. Whisk together the mushroom liquid with the cornstarch in a small bowl.  Whisk this mixture into the boiling sauce until thickened.  Add mushrooms and salt and pepper to taste.   Adjust thickness with wine, water or chicken broth if necessary, or allow sauce to thicken more by reducing slightly. Lay...