Shrimp Creole - John Besh

By Gams

Ingredients

• Ingredients
• 5 pounds jumbo Louisiana or wild American
• shrimp, peeled and deveined
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh lemongrass
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 3 medium onions, diced
• 10 clove garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 stalk celery, diced
• 1 bell pepper, red, green or yellow, seeded and
• diced
• 5 pounds overripe Brandywine tomatoes or
• other heirloom tomatoes, peeled, seeded and
• chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes
• Leaves from 2 branches fresh basil, chopped
• Leaves from 1 sprig fresh mint, chopped

Preparation

Step 1

Preparation

Traditionally a roux-and-tomato-based dish, shrimp Creole in this new version has
Vietnamese influences; it's spicy and sweet, full of herbs and flavor. Any ultra-ripe tomatoes
will work. The amounts given feed a typical Sunday supper at my house; for six to eight, halve
the ingredients, but don't worry too much: There's a lot of forgiveness.

Put the shrimp into a large bowl, season with salt and pepper, then mix in the lemongrass.
Heat 1/4 cup of the olive oil in a large, deep skillet over moderate heat. Add the shrimp,
stirring and tossing them with a spatula. Saute until they turn pink, about 2 minutes. Remove
the shrimp from the pan and set aside while you make the sauce.

Into the same skillet with the oil and shrimp juices, put the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil and
the onions, garlic, celery, and bell peppers and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden
spoon, for about 2 minutes.

Add the tomatoes. Reduce the heat to medium-low and when the sauce comes to a simmer
add the bay leaf, allspice and red pepper flakes. Simmer for 10 minutes.

Add the shrimp back to the skillet along with the basil and mint. Cook for a minute or two.
Season with salt and pepper. If the sauce tastes too tart, add a little sugar to balance the
flavor. Remove the bay leaf. Serve over steamed white rice.

From "My New Orleans: The Cookbook by John Besh" Copyright © 2009 by John Besh.
Reprinted by permission of Andrews McMeel Publishing