Shrimp Creole – Cookin’ Cajun

March 16, 2021–Once you’ve discovered the “holy trinity” of cooking Cajun, you can add this basic, simple and elegant Shrimp Creole – Cookin’ Cajun recipe to your repertory using a few ingredients that every Louisiana cook keeps on hand in their kitchen. Once you go Cajun, you’ll become familiar with what is referred to as the “holy trinity” of vegetables, or the Cajun mirepoix: equal parts onion, green pepper and celery. These characters appear in many recipes like Jambalaya and Étouffée so make sure you have them on hand when you’re planning to do some Louisiana cooking.

Oven Baked Cajun Chicken Breasts!

Cookin’ Cajun is all about free-form and improvisation, so it appeals to the hurried variety of cook found at Food for the Ages. When we’re rushed and we have leftover rice on hand we often make Shrimp Creole because it’s quick and delicious.  Many cooks use sweet green bell pepper in their creole, but I improvised with red bell pepper because that’s what was on hand. I used several humongous Tiger shrimp cut into smaller pieces but if you’re entertaining, you can use smaller, whole shrimp. Then leave the shell on or take it off but the dish looks nice with tails on. 

Whatever their size, for a tender and succulent versus rubbery shrimp result, it’s best to use raw, uncooked shrimp then add them just a few minutes before you pull your sauce off the heat to serve, just as the shrimp are starting to lose their translucence. 

Remember that even free-form, improv cooking asks you to consider the balance of ingredients. So when you bump up one ingredient you’ll need increase the others as well to keep the taste proportions to scale.

Shrimp Creole – Cookin’ Cajun

Serves 4; preparation time: 10 to 20 minutes, depending on whether you need to shell your shrimp or not; cooking time: 20 minutes. So total prep and cooking is between 30 and 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 lb. raw, tail-on, peeled shrimp, thawed (if using frozen)
• ½ cup chopped celery
• ½ cup chopped onion
• ½ cup chopped green or red bell pepper
• 1 clove chopped garlic
• 1, 14.5 ounce can of whole tomatoes, torn into medium-sized pieces (if you use diced tomatoes, set aside about 4 ounces and do not use them in this recipe–it’s easy to overdo the tomatoes in this dish!)
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 cups of hot, cooked rice (you can reheat leftover rice and use this)
• 1/8 teaspoon Cayenne pepper
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon salt 
• ¼ teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon chopped parsley, for garnish

Directions

1. Melt butter in skillet and add onion, celery and pepper and cook until soft, about 10 minutes. Just as the “holy trinity” is becoming transparent in the pan, add the garlic and stir to combine. Cook for another minute. 
2. Add tomatoes, salt, sugar and spices to the Cajun mirepoix and cover and simmer 5 minutes.
3. Prepare warmed plates with a bed of hot rice and any side dish that is accompanying the Shrimp Creole. Alert your crew that dinner is ready!
4. Add shrimp and cook another 4 minutes—don’t walk away!—watch and stir until the shrimp turns from translucent and starting to turn white, then pull the creole sauce off the heat and serve over a hot bed of rice. Sprinkle with fresh, chopped parsley and serve. Enjoy!

Here are a few other FFA recipes you might enjoy

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