Traditional New Orleans Shrimp Creole

Happy Mardi Gras and Carnival Season!!  Although I grew up in the Wild West of Colorado, I have always loved Mardi Gras and Cajun and Creole food. And this New Orleans Shrimp Creole is one of my very favorite recipes to date. Weirdly enough, I was introduced to this celebratory time of year pretty early on. I’m from a college town where people tend to use any excuse to party so there were usually small Fat Tuesday celebrations throughout the area. 

The first recollection I have of Mardi Gras was hearing about it when my parents watched the evening news.  Fast forward to high school when all of the language classes (I took German!) celebrated Mardi Gras and Carnival… And I was enamored.  I just love everything about it.  The pomp and circumstance, the yellow/green/purple glittery decorations, and the tradition of it all.  Mardi Gras is the epitome of the phrase to “eat, drink, and be merry.”  It is the celebration of living and loving life that I love so much. 

How this Recipe Came About

I had experienced Louisiana-style cuisine from a fairly young age (there were a few restaurants in Colorado that my parents used to frequent) but I had never cooked it on my own.  So a few years ago, while I was living in a state that bordered Louisiana, I decided to do some research and create my own recipes for these incredible dishes.  Cajun and Creole food has so much rich history that I knew I wanted to keep.  I didn’t want to create my own twist – I wanted to do my research and create a recipe that honored the tradition and history of New Orleans and the incredible state of Louisiana. 

The Process

This New Orleans Shrimp Creole is one of those recipes and it is one of my very favorites. For this recipe, I start by sautéing the Cajun "trinity" of yellow onion, celery, and green bell peppers in a good amount of butter until they're soft and sightly caramelized.  Next, I mix together the spices and flour and whisk this mixture into the vegetables to create a roux. I let this cook for a couple minutes before adding a healthy splash of white wine, some water, and canned tomatoes. I throw in a few bay leaves along with fish sauce (or shrimp stock) and green onions and let everything get bubbly and thick. I then mix in the shrimp and a few dashes of hot sauce and cook just until the shrimp is cooked through.

This recipe is SO good and hits every note that you want it to.  Salty, savory, briny, slightly spicy, and succulent.  It is umami to the core and perfect. 

So even though I grew up in a square state, I still celebrate Mardi Gras each year. On Fat Tuesday, you’ll usually find me making one of my favorite Louisiana dishes, a big ol’ king cake, and possibly sipping on a Hurricane. 

Laissez les bons temps rouler!  Let the good times roll!

Details and Abby's Tips

• The “Trinity” – The “holy trinity” of cooking is the Cajun and Louisiana Creole variant of mirepoix.  Traditional mirepoix is a staple in French-style cooking and is the traditional base for soups, stews, sauces, etc.  It is a combination of yellow or white onion, celery, and carrots.  The “holy trinity” is a version of this that is specifically used in cuisines coming out of Louisiana and consists of equal parts yellow or white onion, celery, and green bell pepper – This is the base for many Cajun and Creole recipes.    

• Let’s Talk About Roux* – Roux is essentially cooked flour and fat (in this case, butter).  For a basic roux, you melt fat over low/medium heat, add flour, and whisk often while the mixture bubbles and cooks.  It is the base for many cream sauces and soups and helps create a thickener without the clumpy-ness of just adding flour to a liquid.  The amount of fat and flour can vary, depending on the type of sauce you’re making (i.e., thinner vs thicker sauces).  Likewise, the amount of time you cook a roux also depends on what you want the outcome of the sauce to be.  Longer, darker roux is best for rich stews like gumbo or beef stew, whereas shorter, lighter roux is best for shrimp creole or cheese sauces. For this roux, I melt butter and sauté the “holy trinity” of yellow onion, celery, and green bell pepper, along with minced garlic, and let all of that cook until soft.  I mix the flour with the spices, sprinkle over the vegetables, whisk, and cook for just a couple minutes because I will want a lighter roux for this recipe. 
  • *Quick Tip:  When making a roux, you’ll want to whisk it often and watch it carefully to prevent burning.  It is super easy to make but can burn easily so don’t leave the stove until it’s done. 

• The White Wine – You’ll want to use a dry or medium-bodied wine for this recipe.  I really love sauvignon blanc or chardonnay, but as long as you stay away from sweet wines, you’ll be fine!

• The Water – Adding water to this recipe helps create the sauce and bring down the saltiness in this recipe.  If the mixture becomes too thick during cooking, you can add more water, ¼ cup at a time, during cooking to thin it out a bit. 

• The Canned Tomatoes – I use unsalted canned tomatoes as this is already a salty recipe.  I have never used fresh tomatoes but if that’s what you have on hand, feel free to throw them in there!  This is a rustic dish that is very forgiving. 

• The Bay Leaves – You can use dried or fresh for this recipe – The amount will stay the same either way.  These add nice flavor and are meant to be removed just before serving. 

• The Fish Sauce vs Shrimp Stock – Shrimp stock is great for this recipe if you happen to have it on hand or can find it at the store.  However, if you don’t have access to shrimp stock, fish sauce (the kind you find in the Asian food aisle at the grocery store) works wonderfully well in this recipe – I usually use fish sauce in lieu of shrimp stock!  Something to note: Fish sauce is already VERY salty so do NOT add salt to the seasoning/flour mixture.  If using fish sauce, the only time I add salt is a small amount (a few dashes) to the veggies when I am sauteing them and at the very end, but only after tasting to see if it needs any extra.  However, if you are using shrimp stock, I would add about ½ teaspoon to the seasoning/flour mixture and then more at the end if needed. 

• The Worcestershire Sauce – This helps add a rich, deep, almost briny flavor to the dish. Don’t skip this one!

• The Green Onions – These are a great addition!  I add them towards the end so that they don’t become too mushy and keep their fresh flavor.  I also slice up a few extra green onions to use as garnish for this dish.    

• The Hot Sauce – You’ll want to use a Cajun or Creole-style hot sauce for this recipe.  I love the brand, Louisiana Hot Sauce!  It adds so much flavor but isn’t burn-your-mouth spicy.  However, if you are very sensitive to heat, feel free to omit the hot sauce all together or only serve it as a garnish.  This recipe is just as flavorful without it!

• The Shrimp – For this recipe, I usually use medium or large shrimp that has been peeled, deveined, and thawed before being added to the recipe.  Shrimp cooks rather quickly so it will probably only take 6 to 8 minutes.  You can tell shrimp is cooked when it is bright white and pink and the tails have curled up. 

• The Salt – Fish sauce is already VERY salty so if using, do NOT add salt to the seasoning/flour mixture.  If using fish sauce, the only time I add salt is a small amount (a few dashes) to the veggies when I am sautéing them and at the very end, but only after tasting to see if it needs any extra.  However, if you are using shrimp stock, I would add about ½ teaspoon to the seasoning/flour mixture and then more at the end if needed. 

• How to Serve – This is so delicious served over white rice or grits.  I like to dish it up in a bowl and top with a few dashes of Louisiana hot sauce and sliced green onions.  Add a wedge of cornbread with butter and you have the best comfort meal this side of the Mississippi.