Before he was a television food mega-star, Emeril Lagasse made a name for himself as the chef at the legendary Commander’s Palace in New Orleans, arguably the city’s best restaurant at the time. Lagasse was a master of “haute Creole” cooking, a complex blend of Creole and Cajun with signature dishes such as baked redfish en papillote and bread pudding soufflé. (The soufflé is still on the Commander’s Palace menu today.) On a visit to New York City in 1984, Lagasse visited the F&W test kitchen and shared several recipes, including his shrimp Creole, a dish that stands proudly on its own when served over steamed rice, but which Lagasse used as an accompaniment to chicken-and-shrimp jambalaya. The spicy Creole sauce has layers of flavor built on a foundation of the Cajun flavor trinity— onion, celery, and green bell pepper—mixed with garlic and sautéed in butter until tender. The Creole sauce can be made through step 4 and chilled for up to 4 days, or can be frozen for up to a month.
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Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 1/4 cups chicken stock or canned chicken broth
- 4 teaspoons Creole Seafood Seasoning or more to taste, divided
- 1 teaspoon hot paprika
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 4 fresh bay leaves
- 2 cups coarsely chopped tomatoes
- 3 scallions, chopped
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon Louisiana-style hot sauce (such as Crystal)
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 pounds peeled and deveined raw medium shrimp
How to Make It
Step 1
Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high. Add onion, bell pepper, celery, and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened but not browned, 5 to 7 minutes.Step 2
Add chicken stock, 2 teaspoons Creole seasoning, paprika, cayenne, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil over high; reduce heat to medium, and simmer until slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes.[post_ads_2]
Step 3
Stir in scallions, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and salt; cook, stirring often, until thick but still a little saucy, about 10 minutes. Set aside Creole sauce.Step 4
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high; swirl to coat. Add shrimp; sprinkle with remaining 2 teaspoons Creole seasoning (or to taste), and cook, stirring often, until slightly pink, about 1 minute.Step 5
Add Creole sauce to shrimp; cook, stirring, until shrimp are pink, cooked through, and coated in sauce, 3 to 4 minutes.See more at: Food & Wine
