Michael Anthony’s Cucina Italiana hosts hands-on and demonstration cooking classes. A recent class focused on shrimp recipes. Here’s a creole recipe that was taught to the class.
SERVES 4-6 | TOTAL TIME: 30 MIN
INGREDIENTS:
- 3 1/2 pounds shrimp, with shells and heads
- 2 1/2 cups basic seafood stock or water
- 1/4 cup bacon fat or vegetable oil
- 2 1/2 cups finely chopped onion
- 1 3/4 cups finely chopped celery
- 1 1/2 medium finely chopped green peppers
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 teaspoons garlic minced
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 tablespoons plus 2 tsp. Cajun magic seafood magic
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Tabasco sauce or Crystal Hot Sauce
- 3 cups peeled and finely chopped tomatoes
- 1 1/2 cups tomato sauce
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 5 cups hot cooked rice
METHOD:
- Rinse, shell and devein shrimp (reserve heads and shells to make stock if you choose).
- Heat fat over high heat in a 4-quart sauce pan. Add 1 cup of the onions and cook over high heat for 3 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Reduce heat to med-low and cook stirring frequently until onions caramelize, about 3-5 minutes.
- Add the remaining onions, celery, peppers and 2 tablespoons of butter. Cook over high heat until celery and peppers start to get tender, stirring occasionally. Add garlic, bay leaf and seafood magic and stir well.
- Add Tabasco sauce and 1/2 cup of stock. Cover and cook over medium heat 5 minutes to blend seasoning and for the vegetables to finish browning, stirring occasionally while scraping bottom of pan well.
- Add tomatoes and reduce heat to low and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally and scraping bottom of pan. Stir in tomato sauce and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add remaining stock and the sugar, simmer another 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the shrimp and cook just until pink and plump, for about 3 to 4 minutes. Serve with rice.
