Shrimp Creole
Serves four people and takes about an hour to make.
Ingredients:
1/4 cup or 1/2 stick of butter
1/4 cup of flour
1 nice onion, diced
a couple of stalks of celery, diced
1/2 of a green bell pepper, diced
1 or 2 toes of garlic, minced
a few pieces of dehydrated garlic, sliced
1 1/2 cups of seafood or chicken or vegetable stock
1 8 oz can of tomato sauce or make your own
1 bay leaf
1/2 tablespoon of brown sugar or Steen's Cane syrup
2 - 3 thin lemon slices
Creole seasoning - to taste, don't be shy
a few sprinkles of dry basil or a few leaves of fresh basil
a few sprinkles of dry thyme or a couple of twigs of picked thyme
1/2 cup of green onions, sliced
1/4 cup of parsley, chopped
1 1/2 pounds of peeled raw shrimp - small ones are tastier
3 cups of cooked rice (so cook 1 1/2 cups of rice)
Cooking Instructions:
1. Melt butter and add flour, stir over medium heat until lightly browned.
2. Sauté onions, bell peppers, celery until soft the onions are transparent.
3. Add the garlic and sauté a bit more (5 minutes).
4. Add the stock, tomato sauce, bay leaf, brown sugar or Steen's syrup, lemon slices, Creole seasoning, basil and thyme.
Here's a tip: If you have the shells (or better yet, and the heads) cook them in the stock for 10 - 15 minutes to add some great flavor and then strain the stock.
5. Simmer sauce for 15 minutes, then add shrimp, green onions and parsley.
6. Cook until shrimp are pink, about 3 minutes.
7. Serve over white rice and garnish with green onions and parsley.