Shrimp Creole
I can't take complete credit for this, since the concepts came from a number of different recipes, but at least it is my own combination.
Ingredients
- 3 lbs fresh (alive and still swimming!) shrimp
- 2 medium brown onions, diced
- 2 medium red onions, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 yellow bell pepper, diced
- 2 poblano chiles, sliced (with seeds removed if you want it less spicy)
- 6 ribs celery, chopped
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 12 tomatoes, processed through a food mill (about 6 cups)
- 8 cups water
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ½ tsp light corn syrup (like Kayro)
- ½ tsp molasses
- 12 oz tomato paste
- 2 cups ketchup
- 1 tsp hot sauce (Tabasco or Crystal)
- 2 T Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- 2 T Chuck's Creole blend
- ½ teaspoon white pepper
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ tsp white sugar
- ½ tsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 4 tsp chopped fresh thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- Louisiana long-grain rice (perhaps a half-cup per planned serving of creole)
To Prepare
- In a pot, bring the water to a boil and drop in the shrimp. Cover.
- As soon as the shrimp turn bright red / pink (perhaps after only about a minute), remove the pot from the heat and extract the shrimp. Make sure to keep the water!
- Once the shrimp have cooled to a comfortable level, peel and devein them. Save the shells and heads and return them to the pot of water.
- If you have more vegetables than you need, toss them into the pot as well, then bring the water to a boil and reduce to a simmer for 30 minutes.
- Strain the water. You now have a basic shrimp stock.
- With a small amount of the olive oil, sauté the poblano chiles until brown
- In a covered saucepan, sauté the onion, celery, bell pepper, and garlic in the remainder of the olive oil until tender (about 15 minutes).
- Pour the onion, celery, bell pepper, and garlic into the shrimp stock, then add all other ingredients except the shrimp.
- Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer for 30 minutes. (While the creole is simmering, cook your rice.)
- Add the shrimp and simmer an additional 5 minutes.
To Serve
Ladle over hot long-grain rice.