The FrangloSaxon Cooks

Louisiana Cuisines

  • Home
  • Recipe List
  • Tripping & Talking
  • Reviews & Recommendations
  • Privacy Policy

Shrimp Creole

November 9, 2021 by Carine Clary Leave a Comment

Shrimp Creole If you crave a rich traditional Shrimp Creole keep reading! This will wake up your taste buds with lots of thyme, garlic, and three kinds of heat from red pepper flakes, to black pepper to cayenne. And this version offers the option of homemade shrimp stock or one with bottled concentrated stock.

So let’s get started:

What makes it different?

  • For starters, the roux. With most roux, you brown the flour in the fat first. With this one, you caramelize the onions in the fat then add the flour and brown. As it’s browning you add a tablespoon of tomato paste. All about layering flavor. Then you add the shrimp stock.
  • The stock. It can be homemade on the day you make the Shrimp Creole or pulled out of the freezer, or from a canned or concentrated stock. I’ve done it all three ways. When making it this time I had no premade stock so I browned the shrimp shells in the saucepan then used diluted concentrate to finish. Let it bubble for ten then strained out the shells and it was very good.
  • Herbs and spices. We all know that lots of tomato – good as it is – can overwhelm other flavors. That’s why I call for more of all the other good stuff. More garlic, more thyme, and more heat.

The Prep

Once the seafood stock is ready and the veg is chopped, it’s time to focus on the roux. Ideally, you’ll use bacon fat or lard but if you don’t have them on hand (and I didn’t this time) you can use vegetable oil and a strip of bacon for the flavor. Heat that over a low flame and then add the onions and stir until very brown. What you see below is about half cooked and will take another few minutes.

Shrimp CreoleAnd hint – don’t walk away because they can burn quickly. Once browned, stir in the flour just as you would normally do for a roux, cooking until medium brown at which time you will add the other chopped veg, tomato paste and cook for about three minutes.

Finishing Up

This is the easy dump and stir part. Add the chopped tomato (and fire-roasted is good if you’re buying canned), tomato sauce, and half of the stock. Don’t add it all at once. Reserving a cup or so allows you to control thickness. Some people like it very thick, others not.

Everything’s here except the bay leaf and fresh thyme (I used dry in this). Once all of this has bubbled for 20 minutes or so, cut the heat, add the shrimp, cover, and let sit for at least ten minutes. Check for the thickness of the sauce and add more stock if necessary.

Shrimp CreoleWhile it’s finishing you can cook your rice or nuke it (see option below), chop your green onion and parsley for garnish and serve! Best of all it’s good as leftovers.

Chinese Beef & Brocolli

And if you’re craving a side salad, my Orange Arugula is great. Great on its own and has a tartness that pairs well with the richness of the Shrimp Creole. Last, but not least, follow this link to the instructions for great seafood stock.

Shrimp Creole

Shrimp Creole
 
Print
Author: Carine Clary
Ingredients
  • 1.5 lb. smaller shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • For the roux:
  • ¼ cup bacon fat (or vegetable oil)
  • 1 cup onion, diced
  • ¼ cup flour
  • 1 teaspoon tomato paste
  • For the Sauce:
  • 1 cup celery, chopped
  • 1 cup bell pepper, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, diced
  • 2 14.5 oz, cans of diced tomato with juice (or 3 cups peeled, seeded, & diced fresh ones)
  • 1 8 oz. can of tomato sauce
  • 3 cups seafood stock
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 3 tablespoons chopped thyme leaves (or two dried)
  • ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • ½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (optional)
  • salt to taste
  • Green onion, chives, or parsley for garnish
  • white rice
Instructions
  1. Peel & devein shrimp, set aside
  2. Melt the fat in a pot and add the onions, stirring until brown.
  3. Stir in the flour and cook over medium heat until the roux is brown, then add the tomato paste and cook for another minute.
  4. Add the celery, bell pepper, and garlic and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
  5. Add two cups of the stock and fully incorporate, then add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, and all other seasonings.
  6. Cover and cook over low heat for 20 minutes. Check for thickness and add more stock if necessary.
  7. Once the thickness is to your liking, add the raw shrimp, cut the heat, cover and let steam for 10 minutes.
  8. Taste the sauce and add a teaspoon of sugar if too tart and salt if necessary.
  9. Chop garnish and serve with rice.
3.4.3177

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Creole, Entree, Seafood Tagged With: shrimp creole, shrimp in tomato sauce

Shrimp Supreme

March 3, 2017 by Carine Clary Leave a Comment

Shrimp SupremeShrimp Supreme.  A supremely unusual combination of chili and cinnamon. People will ask what’s in it. Make up bogus ingredients. Smile when they tell you that theirs never tastes like yours. Save the truth for your besties.

The History 

By the way, this is in no way similar to all the other Shrimp Supreme recipes on the web. It’s my re-imagining of a dish I had once at my grandmother’s annual iris growers association dinner. It was pot luck and this one old girl brought about a gallon of what appeared to be Shrimp Creole. S.C. is loved by all and the crock was emptied out before half the line made it by.

That’s when the fun started. Everyone took a seat. First bite, mmmm. Second bite, what the? what’s in this stuff cause it’s not Shrimp Creole. I glanced over at the chef on whose crepe paper cheeks a smirk was subtly evident. Finally one of the other ladies leaned forward and piped up.  Merlene! What in the sam hill is this made out of? Merlene put down her sweet tea, lifted her nose in the air, took a deep breath and responded. “Why Edna, what a question! It’s nothing but Texas chili powder, bird’s eye peppers and …….cinnamon. Just a pinch.”  Cinnamon! And chili powder with cumin and whatever else interesting is in chili powder. A little piece of Tampico washed up on our shores. Merlene later claimed to have gotten it out of Sunset Magazine but wherever it came from it was a hit and Merlene’s personalized recipe cards were passed out to interested parties at the next meeting.

The card is long gone but this is a pretty fair approximation of what we ate that night….and many nights to follow.

The Prep

The nice thing about this (besides the flavor) is that it looks nice but is basically a dump and stir creation that you can do on a week night or on short notice.  Get a couple of cans of diced fire roasted tomatoes, some pre-peeled shrimp, shrimp stock if you have it, chicken stock if you don’t, and start sauteing, dumping, stirring, and subsequently eating over rice or pasta. It’s a good idea to retain the liquid from the drained tomatoes and use it in the sauce to thin it if you need to.

I got all these pretty peppers for the shot but in reality you’ll probably use only a couple of pods sliced open and dropped in the pot while it’s simmering. Chop up some more to sprinkle over the finished dish and you’re good to go.

Cinnamon Chili ShrimpAnd be sure and thank Merlene in your prayers because she’s up there enjoying watching you enjoying her shrimp.

Shrimp Supreme
 
Print
Author: Carine Clary
Cuisine: Creole
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • ¼ cup butter
  • ½ cup finely diced onion (or leeks or green onions)
  • ¼ cup finely diced celery
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • ⅛ tsp. cinnamon
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 cups shrimp stock* (or chicken stock)
  • 2 14 oz. cans of diced tomatoes, drained (reserve liquid)
  • 1 tablespoon vermouth (or champagne vinegar)
  • 1 to 3 chili pods split & seeded with extra for dicing and garnishing
  • 1 lb. small peeled shrimp
  • 1 tsp. sugar
  • chopped chili or parsley to garnish
  • Rice or pasta prepared according to package directions
  • For the optional shrimp stock:
  • Shells & heads from 2 lbs. of shrimp
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 3 pods garlic, crushed
  • 3 cloves (or more if desired)
  • ⅓ cup celery (include leaves if possible)
  • 1 medium carrot, peeled & cut into chunks
  • ½ of a medium onion cut into quarters
  • 3 sprigs parsley, including stems
  • 1 bay leaf
  • ½ tsp. black pepper or whole peppercorns
  • 5 cups water (or to cover)
Instructions
  1. Melt the butter over low heat.
  2. Add onion & celery and cook for about 5 minutes until soft.
  3. Sprinkle the flour over the butter and vegetables and cook for a minute.
  4. Add chili, cinnamon, bay leaf, sugar and vermouth.
  5. Slowly stir in broth then add tomatoes and simmer for 10 or 15 minutes, covered.
  6. Add shrimp and cook for several more minutes.
  7. Garnish with parsley or diced peppers.
  8. For the Shrimp Stock::
  9. Add a couple of tablespoons of oil to the pan.
  10. Add the heads and shells and stir over medium heat until pink, about 10 minutes. They should give off a noticeable aroma. This develops flavor.
  11. Add water, veg, bay leaf, garlic, and cloves.
  12. Boil for 30 minutes.
  13. Strain and reserve.
3.4.3177

 

 

Filed Under: Creole, Rice & Noodle Dishes, Seafood Tagged With: shrimp, shrimp and cinnamon, shrimp in tomato sauce, shrimp with chili

Turkey Poulette

Turkey Poulette

Personal Picks

  • Turkey Poulette
  • Mussolini Sandwich
  • Fresh Corn Cakes
  • Chicken Mull
  • Salted Steens Ice Cream

Follow Us

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

About Me

Hello, I'm Carine Clary and I'm the FrangloSaxon.

And is that a word? In a word - Yes! It reflects my French connections in the south part of the state and the Anglo Saxon ones on the Arkansas state line. I grew up eating & loving all the foods of Louisiana and the idea is to collect lots of them right here on this website.

What you'll find here is food that reflects everybody's cooking. Creole we know. Cajun we know. But how about Croatian or Vietnamese....or Italian or German....or the underestimated plain Southern food they do so well in the upstate parishes?

They're all part of who we are so pull up your chair and join me for some good eats!

Search the FrangloSaxon

Search by Holiday

  • Bastille Day
  • Christmas
  • Fourth of July
  • Mardi Gras
  • New Year's
  • Revillon
  • St. Joseph's Day
  • Tet
  • Thanksgiving

Search by Tradition

  • Cajun
  • Creole
  • Croatian
  • German
  • Greek
  • Italian
  • Southern
  • Vietnamese
  • African
  • French
  • Turkish
  • Mexican
  • Irish
  • Links I Like

    • The Homesick Texan
    • Acadiana Table
    • Southern Souffle
    • Savory Spices
    • Well Being Secrets
    • Deep South Dish

Recent Posts

  • Italian Grilled Cheese Sandwich
  • Crabmeat St. Francis
  • Scallops Beurre Blanc
  • Slugburger
  • Fruit Fool

Popular Posts

Mussolini Sandwich

Back in pre World War II days it was actually possible to find restaurants in New Orleans which served something called the Mussolini Sandwich. The History Say what?? It is true and I have the ad to prove it. I thought it would be fun to recreate but needless to say there is no record… 

Read More »

Chicken Mull

Chicken Mull is the old name for Stewed Chicken in milk. It’s also sometimes called Jallop.  This is a cold weather, church supper dish that has spread from its Georgia Carolina origins and now pops up in a few other spots. If you want your kids to come home on their college breaks, make sure… 

Read More »

Creole Crab Cakes

Crispy Creole Crabcakes! Do you crave the crispiest creole crab cake on the planet? You’re in luck because it’s right here and easy to make. The point of your typical creole crab cake is crabby plus crispy with a shot of rémoulade on the side. You want lotsa lumps just barely held together with as… 

Read More »

Vietnamese Cucumber Salad

A Vietnamese cucumber salad that looks elegant and tastes really good. For some reason I’ve found that the dressing tastes better after it’s had a chance to set a spell, so if you have the time you should make it a day ahead or at least a couple of hours ahead but don’t add it… 

Read More »

Christopher Sandwich

For everyone coming off the post-July 4th carnivorous barbequed everything high, let me present the Christopher Sandwich. Almost vegetarian (except for the bacon) it’s both filling and light. The avocado and cheese stick to your ribs while the tomato, onion, olives, pickles, and mushrooms add interest and a salty tang.  And then there are the… 

Read More »

Turkey Poulette

Back in the eighties they made a TV movie about a post-apocalyptic world. They called it “The Day After” and anyone who’s surveyed their house, and especially their kitchen, the day after Thanksgiving has lived it. You think you’ll never eat again but by the next afternoon familiar hunger pangs kick in and you’re headed… 

Read More »

  • Home
  • Recipe List
  • Tripping & Talking
  • Reviews & Recommendations
  • Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2023 · Foodie Child Theme by Shay Bocks · Built on the Genesis Framework · Powered by WordPress