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

    1. In a pot, bring the water to a boil and drop in the shrimp. Cover.
    2. 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!
    3. 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.
    4. 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.
    5. Strain the water. You now have a basic shrimp stock.
    6. With a small amount of the olive oil, sauté the poblano chiles until brown
    7. In a covered saucepan, sauté the onion, celery, bell pepper, and garlic in the remainder of the olive oil until tender (about 15 minutes).
  1. Pour the onion, celery, bell pepper, and garlic into the shrimp stock, then add all other ingredients except the shrimp.
  2. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer for 30 minutes. (While the creole is simmering, cook your rice.)
  3. Add the shrimp and simmer an additional 5 minutes.

To Serve

Ladle over hot long-grain rice.