Shrimp Creole

The fam and I have really been enjoying some festive Mardi Gras recipes that I found recently in a local grocery magazine. There's just something about this time of year that brings out that creole cravings of dark, rich roux, boiled crawfish, spicy shrimp, andouille sausage, and lots of Cajun seasonings. Maybe it's because it's carnival season and everyone is in good spirits after the long winter month of January. Whatever it is, we're loving it!

This week, I tried the Shrimp Creole recipe, and again, easy peasy! I made it on a Monday night after a middle school basketball game and we were serving the dish up in bowls on a bed of brown rice thirty minutes later.

I took a few short cuts when it came to meal prep though. As I mentioned last week, I used frozen shrimp that I had thawed in the fridge during the day. Instead of all the chopping, I used the frozen blend of onions and peppers, and just eye balled how much I needed. Now, there's one thing ya gotta remember when making the roux (the oil and flour mixture). The darker the better, but you certainly don't want to burn it. I was in a hurry that evening and didn't get my roux as dark as we normally like it, but the dish turned out just as great.

My only change for next time is that I will add a little heat by using some cayenne pepper. We Louisiana peeps love our spice!

Overall: Four and a half stars for our family. We loved the flavor and I certainly loved the ease of preparing it. Shrimp Creole is a win for us!

Shrimp Creole

1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup flour
1/2 cup onions, diced
1/2 cup celery, diced
1/2 cup bell pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup tomato sauce
1/2 cup diced tomatoes
3 cups chicken or seafood stock
1 1/2 lbs shrimp, peeled and deveined 
1/4 cup green onions, chopped
1/2 tsp fresh thyme, minced
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
salt and cracked black pepper, to taste
1 dash Louisiana hot sauce, optional
white rice, cooked

In large heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Using wire whisk, add flour until light brown roux is achieved, stirring constantly. Add onions, celery, bell pepper and garlic. Sauce' until vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Add tomato sauce and diced tomatoes, blend well into roux mixture.

Slowly add stock, a little at a time, stirring constantly until sauce-like consistency is achieved. Allow to cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally (Add more stock if mixture become too thick). Add shrimp, green onions, thyme, and parsley.  Cook for 5 more minutes. Season to taste using salt and pepper. Serve over hot rice. 

You might also enjoy this recipe, New Orleans Creole Shrimp Over Cheese Grits, that I posted last week. Be sure to hop over to The Blended Blog today for more Tasty Tuesday recipes.

Let the good times roll!