Shrimp Creole

A classic southern Shrimp Creole that is spicy-delicious! It gets its thick sauce by slowly cooking together tomatoes, fresh herbs, and the Cajun trinity of onion, bell pepper, and celery, then adding fresh shrimp. Serve it over a bed of rice, garnished with lemon slices, for a squeeze of fresh flavor to this Creole stew.

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Shrimp etouffee is another popular, delicious shrimp recipe from Acadiana. It features a rich blond roux that is seasoned with Cajun spices and includes the holy trinity of vegetables: onion, celery, and green bell pepper.

For more ideas, see my crawfish dishes and Cajun recipes roundup.

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Ingredients

• butter
• onion, chopped
• bell pepper, chopped
• celery, chopped
• garlic cloves, pressed
• fresh tomatoes, chopped (about 3)
• canned tomato sauce
• Worcestershire sauce
• fresh oregano, chopped
• fresh rosemary, chopped
• fresh thyme leaves
• cayenne pepper
• sea salt
• fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined
• fresh parsley, chopped
• lemon wedges

This simple, classic southern Louisiana dish is not one that I recall eating from my Mama's kitchen. She mostly cooked our shrimp in an etouffee or a stew made with a basic roux. No tomatoes.

Like most dishes in the Cajun culture, tomatoes are not usually included. The idea is that this vegetable wasn't readily available to the country people, or Cajuns, of southern Louisiana. However, Creole, which is considered to be more of a city cuisine like that of New Orleans, uses tomatoes in many of its dishes.

The diversity of the Cajun and Creole cultures makes Louisiana a unique place. For more New Orleans-inspired recipes, check out 24 Mardi Gras Food Recipes.

No Roux For This Dish

Some Shrimp Creole recipes call for a roux, but not here. Our recipe today is similar to one I found in a favorite cookbook of mine. Let me introduce you to it. It's The Southern Living Cookbook, published in 1987 by Oxmoor House, Inc. This is my go-to cooking manual.

As you can see, I possess more than one copy. It contains basic Southern recipes and cooking instructions. I'm still learning from its pages. Although it can be challenging to get your hands on, I have found a few copies at used book websites.

Instructions

In my recipe, I use fresh tomatoes and herbs. The stew thickens, and the flavor deepens as it simmers for at least an hour before adding the shrimp.

It's so easy and oh-so-good!

Now, buying shrimp that is already peeled from the freezer section of the grocery store can save even more time when preparing this Shrimp Creole. I like to keep shrimp from the Gulf in the freezer, bagged in water, without their heads and tails.

Peeling used to be a chore for me, but I've found something that makes it easier. My big sister told me I needed this little gadget. I tried it, and she was right … again, but don't tell her I said that.

This nifty shrimp peeler is quick and easy to use in removing the shell and vein from the shrimp. Using the tines of a fork is also a good way to peel shrimp.

Related

Looking for more recipes like this, Shrimp Creole?

Pairing

Shrimp Creole goes well when served with these dishes:

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