Ingredients:
- 2 Tbsp Creole Seasoning [you can use Emerill’s essence, another store-bought brand, or the recipe below]
- 4 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
- 1/2 Cup Onion, Finely Chopped
- 1/4 Cup Celery, Finely Chopped
- 1/4 Cup Bell Pepper, Finely Chopped
- 1/4 Cup Flour
- 3/4 Cup fresh Tomatoes, diced
- 1 1/2 Cups Shrimp Stock [recipe below]
- 2 Tbsp Minced Garlic
- I bundle of Fresh Thyme
- 2 tsp Homemade Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 tsp Hot Sauce (recommended Louisiana brands: Crystal or Louisiana Gold)
- 1/2 Cup Green Onions, thinly sliced
- 3 Tbsp minced Italian Parsley
- 2 lb Good Quality Shrimp, Peeled and Deveined, Save shells for the stock
- 3 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
- Salt & Freshly Ground Black Pepper to taste
- 1 Recipe Creole Boiled Rice [recipe below]
Directions
Season the shrimp with 1 Tbsp of the Creole Seasoning.
Melt the butter in a large cast iron skillet, add the onions, bell pepper, and celery, saute until translucent. Whisk in the flour to make a blonde roux, stirring constantly, about 3-5 minutes. Stir in the remaining Creole Seasoning. Add a small amount of the shrimp stock, stir well to form a paste, add the remaining stock gradually, whisking constantly. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. You may need a little more stock, but the end result should be the consistency of a gravy, not too thick, not too thin.
Add the tomatoes, garlic, Thyme, Worcestershire, and hot sauce, a little salt, black pepper, and Cayenne. Simmer for 20-30 minutes.
Add the shrimp, green onions, and parsley, simmer for 10 minutes more or until the shrimp are cooked through. Stir in the 3 Tbsp butter, and adjust the seasonings to taste.
Serve over Creole Boiled Rice. Serves 4 as an Appetizer, or 2 as a Large Entree.
Creole Seasoning
- 1/2 Cup Kosher Salt
- 1/3 Cup Paprika
- 1/4 Cup Granulated Garlic
- 4 Tbsp Onion Powder
- 1/3 Cup Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- 3 Tbsp White Pepper
- 2 Tbsp Cayenne Pepper
- 2 Tbsp Dried Thyme
- 2 Tbsp Dried Basil
- 1 Tbsp Dried Oregano
Mix all ingredients together.
Shrimp Stock Recipe
- The Shells and tails from 2 lb. of Shrimp
- 1/2 Cup chopped Onion
- 1/4 Cup chopped Celery
- 2 Garlic Cloves
- 1 Lemon sliced
- 2 Fresh Bay Leaves
- 3 Sprigs Fresh Thyme
- 1 tsp. Black Peppercorns
Add all ingredients to a 2 qt. saucepan. Cover this with cold water (about 6-8 Cups Cups). Bring almost to a boil, reduce the heat to a low simmer. Simmer for about 45 minutes to an hour. Strain.
Creole Boiled Rice
- 1 quart of Boiling Water
- 1 Cup Basmati or Jasmine Rice
- 2 Fresh Bay Leaves
- 1 Tablespoon Kosher Salt
- 1 Tablespoon Unsalted Butter
Bring the water to a boil with the Bay leaves. Add the salt. Add the rice, stir to make sure the rice doesn’t stick! Do Not Stir again! If you agitate the rice too much, it gets sticky! So give it a good stir, when it comes back to a boil, partially cover it. Cook for about 11 minutes, but taste it, don’t trust me! It should have some bite, but a crunch is bad, Call it Al Dente, like I said, think Pasta. When it’s tender, drain it, pluck out the bay leaves, and if desired, place it into a 400 degree oven with the butter patted on top for about 15 minutes; this helps dry the rice out.