Serves 8
180 min
Creole Shrimp
Recipe GLPR298ca9ea5c97d7
A classic Louisiana Creole dish featuring succulent shrimp in a rich, deeply flavored tomato-based sauce infused with bell peppers, garlic, and warm spices. The shrimp are briefly simmered in the savory sauce to absorb its bold flavors, then served over rice with generous portions of the signature Creole gravy, garnished with fresh scallions and bright lemon wedges.
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Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon whole butter
1 small onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, cored and diced
1 green bell pepper, cored and diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 (28-ounce) cans whole tomatoes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon black pepper
Hot pepper sauce, to taste
Worcestershire sauce, to taste
1 tablespoon sugar
Salt, to taste
2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup dry white wine
Fresh scallions, chopped
Fresh parsley, chopped
Paprika
Fresh scallions, sliced, for garnish
Lemon wedges, for garnish
Directions
Heat olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Once the butter is foaming, add the diced onion, red bell pepper, green bell pepper, and minced garlic. Sauté for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften and become translucent.
Sprinkle the flour over the softened vegetables and stir constantly for 1 minute to coat evenly. Add the tomato paste and stir continuously for another minute. Season the mixture with dried oregano, dried thyme, chopped fresh parsley, cayenne pepper, white pepper, and black pepper. Continue stirring to distribute the spices.
Cook the aromatic base for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the mixture becomes deeply browned and caramelized. Pour in the canned whole tomatoes with their juice, breaking up the tomatoes with the back of your spoon as you stir.
Add hot pepper sauce and Worcestershire sauce to taste, beginning with a teaspoon of each and adjusting as needed. Stir in the sugar to balance the acidity of the tomatoes, and season with salt to taste. Reduce the heat to low and allow the sauce to simmer gently for 1.5 to 2 hours, stirring occasionally. The sauce should reduce and deepen in flavor.
While the Creole sauce simmers, prepare the shrimp. Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a separate skillet over medium heat. Once melted and foaming, add the peeled and deveined shrimp in a single layer. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes per side until they begin to turn pink and opaque.
Splash the cooking shrimp with white wine and scrape up any browned bits from the pan. Sprinkle chopped fresh scallions, a pinch of fresh parsley, a pinch of cayenne pepper, and a pinch of paprika over the shrimp. Toss gently to coat and cook for another 30 seconds. The shrimp should reach an internal temperature of 145F.
When the Creole sauce has reached the desired depth of flavor, add the cooked shrimp to the pot and fold them gently into the sauce. Simmer together for 3 to 4 minutes, allowing the Creole flavors to coat the shrimp.
Serve over cooked rice, ladling plenty of the rich Creole sauce around and over the shrimp—this dish celebrates its generous, flavorful gravy. Garnish each portion with sliced fresh scallions and lemon wedges on the side.
