shrimp Archives - The FrangloSaxon Cooks

Shrimp Supreme

March 3, 2017 by Carine Clary Leave a Comment

Shrimp 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.

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 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.

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

Shrimp Supreme

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

Melt the butter over low heat.
Add onion & celery and cook for about 5 minutes until soft.
Sprinkle the flour over the butter and vegetables and cook for a minute.
Add chili, cinnamon, bay leaf, sugar and vermouth.
Slowly stir in broth then add tomatoes and simmer for 10 or 15 minutes, covered.
Add shrimp and cook for several more minutes.
Garnish with parsley or diced peppers.
For the Shrimp Stock::
Add a couple of tablespoons of oil to the pan.
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.
Add water, veg, bay leaf, garlic, and cloves.
Boil for 30 minutes.
Strain and reserve.

Shrimp Stuffed Bell Peppers

February 18, 2016 by Carine Clary Leave a Comment

Stuffed Bell peppers fall into two categories, Shrimp Stuffed Bell Peppers and Meat of your choice stuffed bell peppers. Shrimp is my favorite and we’re in the Lenten season so a posting with shrimp is a no brainer. This is a simple recipe which requires a skill set that consists largely of boiling and stirring. You boil the rice, you parboil the peppers, then stir some veg and shrimp into the rice stuffing and you’re done. After you’ve boiled, stirred & stuffed you sprinkle the top with crumbs and shredded cheese, run it under the broiler and it’s done. It’s a healthy dish that even junk food junkies will eat because who doesn’t like crunchy toasted cheese covered anything?

In addition to the filling you also have two presentation options. You may slice off the top and fill, or you may slice vertically and lay the peppers on their backs. My favorite is the vertical slice since it doubles the available space for the topping, however the horizontal upstanding stuffed pepper is better for freezing. And these freeze very well which can make it worthwhile to double or triple up the recipe.

The prep method is outlined below and involves boiling the rice, parboiling the peppers, sauteeing the veg and seasonings, adding the shrimp, stuffing the peppers, sliding them into the oven and waiting for the house to smell good.

If you’re making the standing version pictured above hollow out the peppers by laying them on their side and slice off the top leaving an opening about two inches wide. Shake out the seeds and remove the white membrane. You can do this with a knife but to get a nice smooth interior remove any straggling pieces with a spoon. One of those serrated grapefruit spoons is perfect. I use a spoon that was unintentionally serrated when I dropped it into a running disposal. Fortunately the original owner is long gone and unaware of the fate of her maimed sterling teaspoon.

Although this is a fairly simple dish it differs from many others in that it’s more intensely flavored with herbs, nutmeg and cayenne. The herb I specify is thyme, but marjoram is a wonderful substitute if you have it, and fresh is best if you do. Finally, you may use any color pepper and top it with any kind of cheese. I strongly recommend using panko for the topping since it starts crunchy and stays crunchy, but dried breadcrumbs are fine too.

And if you’re looking for other lenten recipes you can’t do better than The Catholic Foodie. I kid you not. Only in Louisiana would you have a Catholic themed website with great food. Go there for more lent friendly recipes including this interesting African offering by Gertruda Domayo from Tanzania.

Shrimp Stuffed Bell Peppers

Author: Carine Clary

Cuisine: Creole

Serves: 4

Ingredients

For the rice:
⅔ cup boiled rice
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 cup chopped tomatoes (canned or fresh)
For the bell peppers:
4 medium sized bell peppers (any color)
For the stuffing:
1 tablespoon butter
½ cup finely chopped onion (or the white parts of green onions)
2 tsp. minced parsley
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
1½ tsps. ground thyme
1 tsp. salt
¼ tsp. nutmeg
black pepper to taste
cayenne pepper to taste
½ lb. small shrimp (or chopped large)
Breadcrumbs or Panko
Shredded Cheese (any kind)
Paprika for dusting the top

Instructions

For the Rice:
Boil rice in ⅔ cups water until done. Stir in the cream, parsley & tomatoes and set aside.
For the Peppers:
Cut off the tops and remove seeds & membranes from the inside, then place in a couple of inches of salted water. Cover, bring to a boil and cook for 4 minutes. The peppers should still be very firm.
Place upright in a greased baking dish or lay sideways if you are slicing the peppers vertically.
For the stuffing:
Melt butter and saute onion, garlic, and seasonings for about 5 minutes until soft.
Fold in the rice & tomato mixture, then raw shrimp. If you have larger shrimp cut them into small chunks.
Spoon into the peppers, top with breadcrumbs and cheese, and place in a 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes or until brown on top.

Notes

To make this vegetarian double the amount of chopped tomato.
If you end up with extra stuffing, you can cook it alone in a greased pyrex custard cup.

Coconut Shrimp Busters

January 14, 2016 by Carine Clary Leave a Comment

Ask anyone from Caddo parish to name their favorite local spot for home cooking and you’ll likely get a short list headed up by Herby K’s. Herby’s was founded by Herbert Busi and he had a feel for branding that would do a hip hop producer proud. He gave the restaurant his nickname, Herby K, and the best joint in Shreveport was born.

Shrimp Busters soon followed. The Shrimp Buster marries Louisiana frying skills and South Pacific style butterflied shrimp in an early version of fusion cooking that is still packin’ em in on Pierre Avenue in Shreveport.

It began after the Civil War when Cesare Luchini moved to Louisiana from Italy and started a construction company that later built a restaurant serving the nearby railroad workers on the Kansas City Southern’s Flying Crow. That was 1936. By 1946 soldiers returning from the war were requesting a local version of the butterflied shrimp they’d come to enjoy in the South Pacific and Herby K’s was quick to comply.

My version is cooked in coconut oil which imparts a subtle flavor and is not at all greasy. It’s probably too expensive to do commercially at a price point that’s viable for a local diner trying to keep it real, but you can make it at home. I shallow fry the shrimp in batches and drain them on paper towels or grocery bags then transfer to a wire cooling rack and put in the oven while the rest are cooking. This keeps them dry and crispy.

Herby’s has their own sauce but I came up with a butter based alternative. It’s made with clarified butter, crushed garlic and lemon zest to taste. I remove the garlic before serving so there are none of those undercooked chunks of raw garlic to bite down on and make you unkissable for the next twenty four hours. It can also be swabbed onto the toast as well as being used for dipping. I included my version of a catsup based sauce below for those who prefer it.

To prepare the shrimp peel down to the tail leaving one section of shell attached. This will anchor the tail and keep it attached while frying.

Next dry them off well. Then take a meat pounder or even a coke bottle, oil the bottom and hit it lightly just enough to flatten it a bit. Then season to taste, dredge in rice flour, dip in the egg, and finally in the Panko/coconut breading mix. (I sometimes save a little of the shredded coconut for sprinkling on top. If you do that you can either leave it raw or toast it as I did.) Let it set for a few minutes then drop into about an inch of 350 degree oil and fry until brown on both sides. They cook fast so stick around. Try to push the tail into the hot fat while it’s cooking. If it’s crispy you can eat it too.

Sloppy seconds.

To maintain my rigorous commitment to testing each and every batch of busters I powered my way thru about a pound before sharing the rest. They were all good and so was the extra toasted coconut on top. In the unlikely event that there are shrimp survivors you may freeze them in foil and warm in the oven. They will still taste pretty good.

Coconut Shrimp Busters

Author: Carine Clary

Cuisine: Southern

Ingredients

For the shrimp:
2 lbs. jumbo shrimp
2 eggs, beaten
½ cup rice flour
2 cups Panko (or more if required)
⅔ cup flaked coconut
Salt, Black pepper, toasted garlic granules & Cayenne to taste
Coconut oil (enough for an inch of oil in whatever size pan you are using)
For the Lemon Butter Garlic sauce:
1 stick of butter
3 cloves garlic, crushed
lemon juice or rind
For the catsup sauce:
½ cup catsup
1 tablespoon horseradish
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

Instructions

For the shrimp:
Prepare three containers or plates. The first with rice flour, the second with beaten eggs, and the third with Panko/coconut breading.
Peel shrimp leaving the tail attached and dry off.
Cut the shrimp down the back till you can lay them out almost flat & blot dry with a paper towel.
Gently flatten with the bottom of an oiled meat tenderizer or glass jar.
Season to taste
Dip in flour, then egg, then breading.
Put about an inch of oil in a pan and heat to 350.
Once oil is hot add shrimp. Fry till brown on both sides about 1 minute per side.
Lemon Butter Garlic Sauce:
Melt butter & skim off the white solids that rise to the top.
Add the crushed garlic and let simmer over an extremely low heat for 10 minutes.
Grate lemon rind over sauce.
Remove garlic and serve.
Catsup Sauce:
Stir ingredients together and serve.

Notes

Rice flour is called for because it fries up crispier, but if you don't have it you may used cake flour or all purpose flour.

Shrimp Etouffee

April 17, 2015 by Carine Clary Leave a Comment

Two things separate this version of shrimp étouffée from most of the others. A rich shrimp stock and smoked bacon fat in the roux. Without these it will be good but not “I’ve eaten this now I can die” good.

For years I made my shrimp and crawfish étouffées with a vegetable oil roux and water for the broth, and for years I wondered why it stubbornly remained mediocre. It wasn’t bad enough to completely rethink but it lacked pizzazz.

Finally a friend suggested shrimp stock and then asked me, “By the way, how do you make it?”

“With heads of course.” I answered.

“No kidding,” she replied. “I would have expected that. But do you sauté them first?”

I was stumped. “Sauté?”

“In a pan with no water?”

“Right,” she said. “In a pan with no water. Don’t you brown your bones before you make soup? Well, it’s the same thing here. Develop the flavor by cooking them in a little olive oil then throw in the other fixins, and then add the water. Believe me you’ll taste the difference.” And I did.

The second variation was to replace the vegetable oil with butter and to spike the butter with bacon fat. The rest of the recipe is pretty standard and easy. It doubles and triples up for crowds and if you have shrimp stock premade it’s very fast.

Which brings me to the topic of making stock ahead of time. Unfortunately, there is no decent commercial shrimp stock. If you want to whip up gumbo, étouffée, shrimp stew or a host of other such dishes at the last minute you need stock. And ultimately, the easiest way to have it is to make it in bulk and freeze it. When you stumble on fresh head-on shrimp buy a lot, make a lot, and freeze it in one or two cup amounts. That way you will always be prepared. It beats water by a mile. See those little flecks of orange fat in the shot below? See the pot of bright orange stock? That’s head fat! All that screaming highway cone orange color came from those little flecks in the heads. Nuff said.

As for the shrimp you can use any kind but I prefer the small ones. You’ll probably be eating this with a spoon so bite size is best and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

Every time I buy small shrimp I’m reminded of my friend Elizabeth who attempted to explain to a recalcitrant fish counter attendant at Balducci’s in Greenwich Village the importance of matching the size of the shrimp to the recipe. He didn’t know what gumbo was, he wasn’t sure if they had any small shrimps but he was sure he didn’t want to check. His final response, “Whazza matta? You don’t got enough money fa jumbo?” At that point she gave up. She got the jumbo and chopped it into smaller pieces which is what I do when I can’t find the small size.

So here it is. I know the recipe looks menacingly long but take my word for it. It’s easy. Most of the ingredients are only condiments so if you’ve made the stock ahead of time it’s almost like fast food.

Shrimp Etouffee

Author: Carine Clary

Cuisine: Creole

Serves: 4

Ingredients

For the 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)
For the etouffee:
2 slices bacon
6 tablespoons butter
⅓ cup flour
1 cup onion, diced
½ cup bell pepper (any color), diced
½ cup celery, diced
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
1½ cups small shrimp, peeled & deveined
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon lemon juice
½ tsp. ground thyme
a few gratings of nutmeg
½ cup green onion tops, sliced
1 tablespoon parsley, minced
1 cup shrimp stock (or chicken broth)
2 cups hot water (approximately, as needed for thinning the gravy depending on how thick you like it)

Instructions

For the stock:
Add a couple of tablespoons of olive oil to the pan.
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.
Add water, veg, bay leaf, garlic, and cloves.
Boil for 30 minutes.
Strain and reserve.
For the etouffee:
Dice bacon and fry over a low heat until brown then remove.
Stir the butter into the bacon fat until melted.
Whisk in the flour and keep stirring until you get a medium brown roux about the color of a football.
Whisk in the tomato paste then add the onion, bell pepper, celery, thyme, nutmeg and garlic and stir over medium heat until soft, about 15 minutes. (keep in mind that the more finely you chop the veg, the more quickly it cooks.)
Next add the shrimp stock and cook for about 10 minutes.
Now add the shrimp, black & cayenne peppers, lemon juice, bay leaf, & parsley.
Let it simmer on a very low heat for about 10 minutes.
At this point check the thickness of the gravy and add hot water as desired.
Serve with boiled rice.
Garnish with green onion.

Notes

You may make this with any size shrimp. I prefer medium to small because it's in a broth or gravy and you eat it with a spoon. If you're using large or jumbo shrimp you can cut them into smaller chunks.

For crawfish etouffee just substitute crawfish for the shrimp. If you have crawfish stock great. If not shrimp stock is fine.

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