Shrimp Creole
I have enjoyed this dish in Louisiana, never Nawl’ns but further north into the lowlands east of Texas. It is always good. So I thought I would try this version too.
Ingredients:
2 lbs raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 tsp homemade or store-bought Creole seasoning
¼ cup unsalted butter (1/2 stick)
⅓ cup all-purpose flour
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
2 celery ribs, thinly sliced
1 pablano pepper, seeded and finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 (15-ounce) can roasted dice tomatoes (no salt added)
1 to 3 tsp hot sauce, to taste (optional)
2 tsp granulated sugar
2 tsp dried thyme
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp dried basil or one cube of frozen
2 dried bay leaves
¼ cup chopped scallions
¼ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves and tender stems
Directions:
- Toss the raw shrimp with half of the Creole seasoning and set aside.
- In a Dutch oven or large, heavy skillet, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Sprinkle the flour on top and stir constantly with a wooden spoon until a roux the color of peanut butter forms, about 10 minutes.
- Add the onion, celery and bell pepper, increase the heat to medium and cook until softened, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes.
- Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute.
- Stir in 1/3 cup water, then the tomatoes, hot sauce, sugar, thyme, oregano, basil, bay leaves, Salt and Pepper to taste and the remaining Creole seasoning. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes until thickened, stirring occasionally to make sure that the bottom doesn’t burn. (If needed, add more water.)
- Once the stew has thickened, add the seasoned shrimp and simmer until opaque and cooked through, about 5 minutes, turning each piece halfway through the cooking time. Taste and adjust seasoning. Remove Bay Leaves
- Remove from the heat and let stand for 10 minutes, uncovered.
Serve hot in a bowl with a scoop of white rice on top and the chopped scallions sprinkled over the top.