Pickled Shrimp

I've been on a Southern foods kick lately.  My Mom used to make pickled crabs when I was younger and this recipe reminds me of that.  These are much easier to eat, than the crabs.  This is a combination of a Paula Deen recipe and a recipe I found in Southern Living.  

Ingredients:

Shrimp:

• 10 C. water
• 1 orange (cut in fourths)
• 1 lemon (cut in half)
• 1 onion (cut in half)
• 1 head of garlic (cut in half)
• 2 T. concentrated liquid Shrimp and Crab boil
• 2 lbs. of Fresh Shrimp
• 2 T. salt

Pickling liquid:

• 2.5 oz. can of black olives, sliced (½ C.)
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• zest of one lemon
• juice of one lemon, 2 T.  
• ¼ C. olive oil
• ½ C. apple cider vinegar
• 6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 t. salt
• 2 T. capers with their juice
• ½ t. red pepper flakes
• ¼ t. cayenne pepper

• Bread rounds, for serving
• Mayonnaise, for serving

Directions:

1. In a large pot, put water, lemon, orange, onion, garlic, and crab boil (NO SALT).
2. Bring to a boil, and then add shrimp.
3. Bring to a boil again and cook for 2 minutes.
4. Turn off the heat.
5. Add salt and let the shrimp bathe in the salt water for 5 minutes.
6. Strain, when cool enough to handle, peel the shrimp.  Reserve.
7. Combine all of the pickling liquid ingredients together in a medium size bowl with a cover.
8. Add the shrimp and refrigerate overnight or at least 4 hours.
9. You will need 3 bowls for serving: large, medium and small.  Place the bread rounds in the large bowl, the pickled shrimp in the medium bowl and mayonnaise in the small bowl.  

Tips and Tricks:

• Zest the lemon first, and then squeeze the lemon for the juice.
• My Dad swore that the reason his shrimp would always peel easily is because he put the salt in AFTER the boiling.  It works.
• This makes the perfect canapé.  People can place what they like on the bread rounds.  I put a little pickling juice on the bread and then a little mayo, finally I place a shrimp, some onion slices, a garlic slice, a few capers and black olives.   

Shrimp Salad

This is a great way to serve up some leftover boiled shrimp.  It is a Barefoot Contessa recipe.  The amount of mayonnaise is adjustable.  It should be creamy, but not soupy.

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. boiled shrimp, chopped
• ½ C. red onion, finely chopped
• 1 C. celery, finely chopped
• ¼ C. dill, finely chopped
• 1 C. mayonnaise
• ½ T. Dijon mustard
• 1 T. white wine vinegar or white wine
• 1 t. Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning
• 1 t. kosher salt
• ½ t. black pepper

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, combine the shrimp, onions, celery, and dill.
2. In a small bowl, combine all other ingredients until well incorporated.
3. Pour the small bowl into the medium bowl and mix well.
4. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, but best overnight.
5. Serve over a bed of lettuce or with crackers.

Tips and Tricks:

• This is great to make when you have some leftover boiled shrimp. 
• I use apple cider vinegar, if I don’t have white wine vinegar or white wine.
• Sometimes I add 3 or 4 boiled eggs to this recipe, also.

Shrimp Etouffee

This is Cajun comfort food.  It is my Mom and Dad’s recipe that I tweaked.  I like a creamy Etouffee, so that’s where the heavy cream come into the picture.  It’s spicy and rich and creamy.

Ingredients:

• 1 stick of butter (8 T.)
• 1 C. of chopped onions
• ½ C. of chopped bell pepper
• ½ C. of chopped celery
• 3 cloves of minced garlic
• ½ C flour
• 1 can of Rotel tomatoes with chilies
• 4 C. shrimp stock
• ¼ C. of Crystal Hot Sauce
• 2 T. of Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning
• 2 lbs. of fresh medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 C. heavy cream

Directions:

1. Season the shrimp with the Creole Seasoning and refrigerate.
2. In cast iron pot, melt the butter over medium heat and sauté the onions, bell peppers, and celery for 15 minutes
3. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute.
4. Add flour and cook for 5 minutes.
5. Add Rotel, hot sauce, and shrimp stock and bring to a boil.
6. Reduce heat and allow to simmer for 45 minutes.
7. Add shrimp and heavy cream, cook for 10 minutes.
8. Serve hot over rice.

Tips and Tricks:

·     Peel the shrimp and save all the shells and heads to make your own Shrimp Stock. 

·     If you don’t have a cast iron pot you can make this in a heavy bottomed Dutch oven instead.  The trick is to stir constantly while making the roux.  You can NOT multi-task during this step.  This is where the base of flavor for your etouffee comes.

·     The ¼ C. of hot sauce might have you scared.  Don’t be!  The shrimp will soak up the flavor from the hot sauce and the heavy cream will mellow it all out.

·     This freezes well.

Shrimp Burgers

Don't let this picture fool you, it looks like a hamburger, but it's not.  It's a SHRIMP BURGER!  It is so flavorful.  I got this recipe from a Emeril's show, but it's really Marcelle Bienvieu's recipe.
She left out the breadcrumbs and they ARE necessary.  I used Panko.

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ lbs. shrimp, peeled, deveined, and chopped
• ½ C. onions, finely chopped
• ¼ C. red bell pepper, finely chopped
• ½ C. celery, finely chopped
• ¼ C. green onions, finely chopped
• ¼ C. parsley, finely chopped
• 1 egg, beaten
• ¼ t. cayenne pepper
• ½ t. kosher salt
• ½ T. Tony Chachere’s Creole seasoning, plus 1 t.
• 1 t. baking powder
• 1 C. Panko bread crumbs
• ½ C. all-purpose flour
• 1 C. vegetable oil, for frying
• 4 hamburger buns
• Shredded lettuce
• 1 Roma tomato, cut into slices
• Homemade Tartar Sauce

Directions:

1. In a bowl with a cover, combine the shrimp, onions, bell peppers, and celery with the beaten egg
2. Add the Tony’s, salt, cayenne, green onions, parsley, and baking powder and mix well
3. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours
4. Remove the mixture from the refrigerator and add the Panko
5. Form into 4 patties
6. In a shallow bowl, combine the flour and the 1 t. of Tony’s
7. Add the vegetable oil to a large skillet and place the skillet over medium heat
8. Dredge each patty on both sides through the flour mixture, then add to the skillet
9. Cook for 4 minutes on each side
10. Drain each on paper towels
11. Serve each burger on a bun with Homemade Tartar Sauce, lettuce, and tomato

Tips and Tricks:

• Make the Homemade Tartar Sauce first, the night before is best.  Don’t skip this!  The Shrimp Burgers are so good with this Tartar Sauce.
• Sometimes, I use a 1 lb. container of Creole seasoning from the produce section to speed up this recipe.  Creole seasoning generally has onions, green peppers, celery, garlic, green onions, and parsley.  The 1 lb. container is about 2 C.

Shrimp Scampi Pasta with Capers

This is quick and easy dinner.  Fresh gulf shrimp are the star of the show.  The lemon juice gives this a bright fresh flavor.  It's perfect with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc.

Ingredients:

• ½ lb. of angel hair pasta
• 2 lbs. of medium to large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1/4 C. (1/2 stick) butter
• 2 T. capers
• 2 T. olive oil 
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• ¼ C. freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
• 1 t. lemon zest
• ¼ t. red pepper flakes
• 1 t. kosher salt
• 1 t. Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning
• ½ C. grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Boil pasta as directed on package and strain
2. In a heavy bottomed skillet, heat a ½ T. of butter over medium heat, allow to cook until the foam is gone
3. Add the capers and crush ½ of them with a spoon, cook for 2 minutes or until they start to burst and smell nutty
4. Add the olive oil and allow to heat, and then add the garlic and cook for one minute
5. Add the lemon juice and cook until it reduces a bit 1 – 2 minutes
6. Add the shrimp with the salt, red pepper flakes, and Creole seasoning
7. Cook for 3 minutes
8. Remove from the heat, then add the remaining butter and stir, until all the butter is melted
9. Add the pasta and toss
10. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese then serve

Tips and Tricks:

• Adding the butter to the lemon juice without the heat helps the butter to emulsify.
• This recipe makes 4 servings.  It is really easy to double.

Tartar Sauce

This is a great accompaniment to a Shrimp Burger or fried seafood.  It is a combination of a few recipes I've found.

Ingredients:

• 1 C. mayonnaise
• 2 T. dill relish
• 2 T. chives, finely chopped
• 1 T. capers
• 1 T. parsley, finely chopped
• 1 T. Dijon mustard
• 1 t. Crystal hot sauce
• ¼ t. cayenne pepper
• ½ T. lemon juice
• 1 clove of garlic, minced

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients and refrigerate for several hours before serving

Tips and Tricks:

• This is great to make when you are frying seafood. 
• Fresh squeezed lemon juice makes a big difference in this. 
• This can be kept refrigerated for about two weeks.

Shrimp Mold

This is a throwback recipe.  In the 70's, recipes to make Molds or Aspic were all the rage.  I know that it is no longer a must have at every party now, but it is still good.  I love the presentation.  I was given a special Tupperware as a shower gift to make Molds or Aspic.  The recipe is straight out of my cookbook that my sister-in-law Darlene made for me.

Ingredients:

•  1 (8 oz.) cream cheese
•  2 packs of gelatin
•  ½ C. water
•  1 can tomato soup
•  1 C. mayonnaise
•  1 C. shrimp, cooked, chopped
•  ¼ C. onions, finely chopped
•  ¼ C. celery, finely chopped
•  ¼ C. pimento stuffed, green olives, chopped
•  ¼ C. yellow bell pepper, finely chopped

Directions:

1. In a small simmering pot, heat the soup to a boil, then add the cream cheese to the hot soup and stir until the cream cheese melts into the soup.
2. In a small bowl, add the gelatin to the water and whisk until it starts to thicken, about 2 minutes.
3. Pour the soup mixture into a large bowl and add the gelatin to the mixture and stir until incorporated.
4. Add the mayonnaise, then the shrimp, onions, celery, olives, and peppers
5. Grease a Bundt pan (or Tupperware makes a Jel-Ring, which is what I use) with mayonnaise, so the finished product will slide out easily.
6. Pour the mixture into the pan and refrigerate overnight.
7. When ready to serve, place a platter under the pan and carefully flip the pan to release the Shrimp Mold.
8. Serve with assorted crackers.

Tips and Tricks:

• This is great to make when you have some leftover boiled shrimp. 
• Yellow bell peppers is NOT necessary, but the different colors look nice. 

Shrimp Remoulade Salad

When I was little I got to help make the Shrimp Remoulade Salads for Thanksgiving Dinner at my friend Marianna's house.  The only addition to this salad is the feta cheese.  You MUST make the Remoulade Sauce.  It's the star of this show.

Ingredients:

• Shredded iceberg lettuce
• 2 lbs. of boiled shrimp
• 1 can of black olives
• 4 oz. of crumbled feta cheese
• Remoulade Sauce

Directions:

1. Boil and peel the shrimp
2. Cover four plates with the iceberg lettuce
3. Add several black olives that have been cut in half
4. Sprinkle 1 oz. of feta cheese over each
5. Add ½ lb. of shrimp to each plate, about 10 - 12 medium shrimp or 6 – 8 jumbo
6. Drizzle with the Remoulade sauce

Tips and Tricks:

• Follow my links for the recipes for boiled shrimp and the Remoulade Sauce.
• Traditional Shrimp Remoulade is served with iceberg lettuce.
• I recommend boiling the shrimp and making the Remoulade Sauce the day before and refrigerating them overnight.  Peel the shrimp when you are ready to make the salads.

Remoulade Sauce

This is a tried and true recipe.  I have tweaked several recipes over the years and this is the one we like.  

Ingredients:

• 2 C. mayonnaise
• ½ C. chili sauce
• ½ C. Creole mustard
• ½ C. green onions, finely chopped
• ½ C. celery, finely chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 T. horseradish
• 1 T. Crystal hot sauce
• 1 T. lemon juice
• ½ T. Worcestershire sauce

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients and refrigerate overnight before serving

Tips and Tricks:

• This is great to make when you are boiling seafood.  Everyone loves it to dip:  shrimp, crawfish, and potatoes.
• This calls for horseradish, NOT horseradish sauce.  There is a difference.  Horseradish sauce is a milder version and is often found on a shelf in the grocery.  Horseradish is REFRIGERATED and is usually found in the dairy section.
• I use Zatarain's Creole mustard.  It has the perfect bite that this sauce needs.

Shrimp and Grits

This is a Paula Deen recipe.  I serve the Shrimp with my Garlic Cheese Grits.  I posted that recipe on Wednesday, February 9, 2011.  Rich and decadent, the perfect meal to serve to those special to you.

Ingredients:

• 3 lbs. shrimp, 20 count, peeled and deveined
• 2 C. tasso, chopped into small cubes
• ½ C. olive oil
• ½ C. onions, chopped
• ½ C. green peppers, chopped
• ½ C. celery, chopped
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped
• 2 minced garlic cloves
• ¼  C. Crystal hot sauce
• ½ T. Tony Chachere Creole Seasoning
• ½ C. white wine
• 4 C. heavy cream

Directions:

1. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook tasso in olive oil until crisp
2. Add onions, green peppers, celery, and green onions and cook until onions are translucent
3. Add garlic and cook 1 minute
4. Add shrimp and sprinkle with Creole seasoning
5. Cook until pink about 2 minutes
6. Remove everything from the pan and add the white wine to deglaze
7. Slowly add the heavy cream and hot sauce and cook until the cream thickens
8. Add everything back to the skillet and cook for 3 minutes
9. Serve over Garlic Cheese Grits and garnish with chopped chives

Tips and Tricks:

• Serve in a shallow bowl and ladle the shrimp mixture over the grits.
• This can be made the day ahead and stored in the refrigerator, then reheated before serving.
• Follow my link to find out how I make the Garlic Cheese Grits.

Mirliton Dressing with Shrimp and Ham

This is my Mom's recipe that everyone LOVES. It is a Thanksgiving and Christmas MUST!   It is labor intensive, but you won't mind spending the time making this dressing knowing that your family will love you for it.

Ingredients:

• 6 mirliton
• ½ stick of butter, plus 2 T. for the top
• 1 C. of chopped onions
• ½ C. of chopped bell pepper
• ½ C. of chopped celery
• 4 cloves of mined garlic
• ½ bunch of green onions finely chopped
• ¼ C. of fresh parsley finely chopped
• 1 lb. of  shrimp, peeled and cut into small chunks
• 1 lb. of ham, cut into small chunks
• 1 t. Worcestershire sauce
• ½ T. of salt
• ½ T. of Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning
• ¼ t. cayenne pepper
• 1 ½ C. bread crumbs, more or less depending on the amount of liquid the shrimp draw, plus ¼ C. for the top
• 1 egg, beaten

Directions:

1. In a large pot, boil the mirlitons for one hour or until tender
2. Drain and cut each in half, then carefully scoop out the seeds
3. Chop the mirlitons into small pieces and reserve
4. In a heavy bottomed pot or Dutch oven on medium heat, add onions, bell peppers, and celery and cook until limp about 20 minutes
5. Add garlic for 1 minute
6. Add shrimp and cook for 10 minutes
7. Add ham and cook for 10 minutes
8. Add mirliton, green onions, parsley, Worcestershire, salt, Creole Seasoning, and cayenne pepper
9. Fold all ingredients together and cook for 5 minutes
10. Add the bread crumbs a little at a time, when it gets difficult to stir and the dressing starts to thicken up, you have the correct amount of bread crumbs
11. Cut the heat and allow the dressing to sit for 5 minutes
12. Then add the beaten egg, fold into the dressing
13. Transfer the dressing into a casserole dish
14. Sprinkle with extra bread crumbs and dot with butter
15. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes

Tips and Tricks:

·        When you are removing the seeds of the mirliton, it is important to get the membrane that surrounds the seed also,  It is filmy and should be removed.  The bottom of the mirliton is the toughest part.  Run you hand along the bottom edge, if it still feels tough and kind of prickly, cut it off as well.

·        If you make this ahead of time, you can place the dressing in the casserole dish you wish to serve it in and freeze it until you are ready to use it.  (Don’t add the extra bread crumbs or butter until after you defrost the dressing)

Corn Macque Choux

This is my Mom and Dad's recipe for Macque Choux.  My Dad liked corn.  He made Macque Choux different ways, but this was a favorite because it is a one pot meal.  It serves like a soup.

Ingredients:

• 2 C. of finely chopped onions
• 1 C. of finely chopped bell pepper
• 1 C. of finely chopped celery
• 6 cloves of mined garlic
• ¾ C. vegetable oil
• 6 ears of fresh corn, cut off the cob and scraped
• ½ lb. of pickle meat or ham seasoning
• 3 lbs. of shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 lb. of smoked sausage cut into semi circles
• 2 cans of Rotel
• 2 cans of Cajun stewed tomatoes
• 2 cans of yellow corn
• 2 cans of white corn
• 2 cans of cream corn
• 10 C. shrimp stock or chicken stock
• 2 T. of salt
• 1 T. of black pepper
• ½ t. of cayenne pepper

Directions:

1. In a gumbo pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat and sauté the onions, bell peppers, and celery and cook until limp
2. Add garlic for 1 minute
3. Run the Rotel and stewed tomatoes through a food processer
4. Add both to the pot and cook for 10 minutes
5. Add the fresh corn, including the cobs, to the pot
6. Add the chicken or shrimp stock, sausage, ham, salt, pepper, and cayenne
7. Bring to a boil and cook for 30 minutes
8. Add the can corn and cook for an additional 15 minutes
9. Stir then add the shrimp and cook for an additional 15 minutes

Tips and Tricks:

·        My Dad insists that the KEY to Macque Choux is scraping the corn cob to get the “milk” from the corn.  After you cut the kernels off the cob, you need to scrape the knife down the side of the cob and add the “milk to the bowl of corn. 

·        I use Bryan Cajun Smoke Sausage. 

·        I use Green Giant corn.

·        You can make shrimp or chicken stock.  It is easy! Follow my link to find out how I make mine. 

Everything Jambalaya

Everything, but the kitchen sink.  Yeah, that's about it.  Bacon, pork sausage, smoked sausage, chicken, and shrimp are all in there.  This makes a big gumbo pot full, so invite the family and friends over.

Ingredients:

• 2 C. of chopped onions
• 1 C. of chopped bell pepper
• 1 C. of chopped celery
• 6 cloves of mined garlic
• ½ lb. of bacon
• 1 lb. of fresh pork sausage, squeezed out of the casing
• 3 lbs. of shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 5 boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 1 lb. of smoked sausage cut into semi circles
• 1 can of Rotel
• 1 large can of crushed tomatoes (3 ½ C.)
• 6 C. shrimp stock or chicken stock
• ½ C. of Louisiana or Crystal Hot Sauce
• 1 T. of salt
• ½  C. flour
• 5 C. parboiled rice

Directions:

1. Cut bacon into thin small strips
2. In cast iron pot, fry the bacon until crisp and remove
3. Add the pork sausage in crumbles and cook about 5 minutes and remove
4. Make a roux with the bacon and sausage drippings and flour over medium high heat until the color of dark peanut butter
5. Add onions, bell peppers, and celery and cook until soft, about 10 minutes
6. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute
7. Add Rotel and crushed tomatoes then transfer to a gumbo pot
8. Add chicken or shrimp stock, smoked sausage, bacon, pork sausage, salt, and hot sauce
9. Bring to a boil and cook for 45 minutes
10. While cooking cut chicken into 1 inch chunks
11. Add chicken and cook for 15 minutes
12. Add rice and cook for 15 minutes on low heat
13. Add shrimp and make sure they are all covered by the rice
14. Cook for an additional 15 minutes
15. Serve hot!

Tips and Tricks:

·     You can make shrimp or chicken stock.  It is easy!  Follow my link to find out how I make mine.

·      If you don’t have a cast iron pot you can make a roux in a heavy bottomed pot instead.  The trick is to stir constantly.  You can NOT multi-task during this step.  This is where the base of flavor for your jambalaya comes.  Be diligent, it takes about 15 minutes to make a roux the color you need.

·        I use Bryan Cajun Smoke Sausage. 

·        ½ C. of hot sauce might have you scared.  Don’t be!  The sausage, chicken, shrimp, and rice all absorb the hot sauce and give this jambalaya a great flavor.  It is spicy, but not tongue numbing.

·        This freezes well.

Shrimp Scampi with Linguine

Shrimp with garlic and lemon, Yum!  This is another Barefoot Contessa recipe that I have slightly tweaked.  It is so flavorful and makes a nice presentation.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. of linguine
• 3 lbs. of medium to large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 4 T. butter
• 3 T. olive oil
• 6 cloves of garlic, minced
• ½ C. freshly squeezed lemon juice (3 – 4 lemons)
• 1 t. grated lemon zest
• ¼ t. red pepper flakes
• 2 t. kosher salt
• 1 t. black pepper
• 1 t. Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning
• ½ C. grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Boil pasta as directed on package and strain
2. In a heavy bottomed skillet, heat the butter and olive oil over medium-low heat
3. Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute
4. Add the shrimp with the salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and Tony’s
5. Cook for 5 minutes
6. Remove from heat, then add the lemon juice and lemon zest to the pan
7. Add the pasta and toss
8. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese then serve

Tips and Tricks:

• I use Angel Hair pasta for this as well.
• I sprinkle some fresh chives over the top when I serve this dish.  It is not necessary.

Shrimp Stack

This is the appetizer that we have at just about every family function.  It is a recipe from my cookbook that Darlene made for me.  If I had a dollar for every time I've made this recipe, I'd be rich.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. of small boiled shrimp
• 2 (8 oz.) cream cheese
• ½ C. green onions, finely chopped
• ¼ t. grated lemon peel
• 2 T. Worcestershire sauce
• 2 T. lemon juice
• 1 t. Crystal hot sauce
• 1 bottle of Cocktail sauce
• Crackers

Directions:

1. Let cream cheese soften, before starting to make this appetizer.
2. Combine the softened cream cheese with all the following ingredients (except the Cocktail sauce)
3. Spread the cream cheese mixture into a serving dish
4. Refrigerate until ready to serve
5. When it’s time to serve, pour the Cocktail sauce over the cream cheese mixture
6. Place the boiled shrimp on top of the Cocktail sauce and serve

Tips and Tricks:

• I use 1/3 less fat cream cheese.
• I serve this dip with Butter Thins from Pepperidge Farms.

Boiled Shrimp

This is my Dad's tried and true recipe for boiling shrimp.  They are always yummy when prepared this way.

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. of Fresh Shrimp
• 1 orange (cut in fourths)
• 1 lemon (cut in half)
• 1 onion (cut in half)
• 1 head of garlic (cut in half)
• 2 T. concentrated Liquid Shrimp and Crab boil
• 2 T. salt

Directions:

1. In a large pot, put water, lemon, orange, onion, garlic, and crab boil (NO SALT)
2. Bring to a boil, then add shrimp
3. Bring to a boil again and cook for 2 minutes
4. Turn off the heat
5. Add salt and let the shrimp bathe in the salt water for 5 minutes
6. Strain and eat

Tips and Tricks:

• My Dad swears that the reason his shrimp would always peel easily is because he put the salt in AFTER the boiling.  It works.
• This recipe can be altered for more or less pounds of shrimp, but be careful with the crab boil.  I like my seafood spicy and use a tablespoon for each pound.  This is NOT what the label recommends.
• If you want potatoes and corn, just fish the shrimp out of the water and use the same water for a quick one pot meal.

Shrimp Creole

This was my favorite dish growing up.  My Mom is a great cook and this is her recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 C. of chopped onions
• ½ C. of chopped bell pepper
• ½ C. of chopped celery
• 4 cloves of mined garlic
• 5 lbs. of shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 2 cans of tomato paste
• 4 cans of tomato sauce
• 4 C. water or shrimp stock
• ¼ C. of Crystal Hot Sauce
• 2 T. sugar
• 1 T. of salt
• ½ T. of black pepper
• ¼ t. cayenne pepper
• ½ C flour
• ½ C vegetable oil

Directions:

1. Add oil and flour to a cast iron pot to make a blonde roux over medium high heat until the color of a walnut (about 7 – 8 minutes)
2. Add onions, bell peppers, and celery and cook until limp
3. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute
4. Add paste and cook for about  3 minutes
5. Add sauce, stock, hot sauce, sugar, salt, pepper, and cayenne
6. Bring to a simmer and cook for 1 hour and 30 minutes (stirring often)
7. Add shrimp and cook another 20 minutes
8. Serve with hot rice

Tips and Tricks:

•        You can make shrimp stock to use instead of the water.  It is easy!  After you peel your shrimp, place everything that is left in a big pot with 12 C. of water, 2 onions cut in half, 4 stalks of celery, 1 head of garlic cut in half, 1 T. Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning.  Boil for 1 hour then strain stock. 
•        This Creole is very smooth.  If you like a chunkier sauce, you can use crushed tomatoes instead of the sauce.  Rotel tomatoes are good for this also, but cut out the cayenne and hot sauce or it may get too spicy.

Shrimp Dip

This is my Mom's recipe.  We had Shrimp Dip every New Years Eve, and on some other occasions also.

Ingredients:

• 1 C. chopped boiled shrimp
• 1 envelope of Lipton Golden Onion Soup Mix
• 1 (8 oz.) cream cheese
• 1 (8 oz.) sour cream
• ½ C. evaporated milk
• 1 t. Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning
• 1 T. chopped chives

 Directions:

1. Let cream cheese soften, before starting to make this dip.
2. Combine the softened cream cheese with the sour cream
3. Add the milk, then the Soup Mix, then the Creole Seasoning
4. Sprinkle in the chives
5. Fold the shrimp in last
6. Refrigerate overnight, so the flavors can Marry!

 Tips and Tricks:

• I use light sour cream and 1/3 less fat cream cheese.
• I serve this dip with Fritos Scoops.