Shrimp Creole

In honor of Mardi Gras week, this is a revised recipe originally posted in 2009.  I've made several modifications including paring down the quantity for serving 6-8 people.  My earlier recipe would have easily served 10-12. The original recipe also called for two cups of shrimp stock, made by boiling the shells and tails in water with onions, celery and some seasonings for a hour.  Having made this recipe numerous times using store-bough chicken stock, I cannot tell any difference in flavor that justifies this additional task, so I have modified the ingredients accordingly.

This is a quintessential New Orleans Creole dish, enjoyed year round, not just during Mardi Gras time.  And to be sure, it is Creole in origin, not Cajun, as evidenced by its heavy use of tomatoes which are nearly absent in dishes defined as Cajun. It also is milder in flavor as Cajun dishes usually carry a bit more heat.

In New Orleans, you most assuredly would get Shrimp Creole made with fresh Gulf Coast shrimp.  For those of us not lucky enough to live near a source for fresh shrimp, frozen, uncooked shrimp, peeled, de-veined and with tails removed will work very well in this dish as long as you don't overcook them.  They won't be introduced to the pot until the last five minutes of cooking prior to serving.

Shrimp Creole is served over rice, typically white rice.  But as a variation, I made saffron rice recently by following the package directions for making converted rice and simply adding 1/2 teaspoon each of saffron threads and powdered turmeric to the water beforehand.

Ingredients
2 lbs frozen jumbo shrimp, peeled, de-veined, tails removed
1 stick butter
1 large sweet or yellow onion, finely diced
1 large green bell pepper, finely diced
4 ribs celery, finely diced
4 tsp minced fresh garlic
4 tbsp Creole Seasoning (like, Tony Chachere's or Zatarain's Creole Seasonings)
1 6-oz can tomato paste (like, Hunt's)
3 14.5-oz cans petite diced tomatoes (like, Hunts)
1 cup dry white wine
4 cups chicken stock (like, Swanson's or Kitchen Basics)
1 tsp Tabasco sauce
4 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp Thyme
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp smoked salt (like, San Francisco Salt Company Alderwood)
4 bay leaves
4-5 green onions, chopped including green stems

The Recipe
The best way to thaw frozen shrimp is in a colander under cold running tap water right before using them in your recipe. If you need a little time, you can wrap the shrimp in paper towels and put in a metal mixing bowl in the fridge for up to two hours. The metal will help keep the shrimp ultra chilled.

Melt the butter over medium high heat in a large sauce pan or Dutch oven. Add the onions, peppers and celery. Sauté until the vegetables start to pick up a little color, about 12-15 minutes. Include the garlic at the end and sauté a minute or two more.

Mix the tomato paste well into the vegetables, stirring constantly until the paste begins to brown a little. Add all of the tomatoes, the Creole seasoning, white wine, chicken stock, bay leaves, cayenne pepper, thyme and the smoked salt.  Bring the sauce to a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium for 30 to 45 minutes while the sauce reduces and thickens, stirring frequently.

When the tomato sauce is the consistency of a salsa, add the Worcestershire and Tabasco sauces, and then test for seasoning, such as additional salt or more cayenne pepper.

Toss in the shrimp and half the chopped green onions, and bring the sauce back to a simmer while stirring constantly. Cook for approximately another five minutes. The shrimp won't take long to cook and the key is to not overcook them. When the shrimp turn opaque and white, they're done. Toss in the remainder of the green onions, give the whole thing a final stir, and remove from the heat. 

Remove the bay leaves and discard. Ladle the shrimp and sauce over a helping of rice in a large pasta bowl.