Simple Creole Shrimp With Rice

On our first trip to New Orleans, I learned about starting everything with onions, green bell pepper and celery. (A slight variation of another classic combination of onions, carrots and celery.)

There are so many ways to go with this beginning. One way to go is to make a Creole Shrimp dish. I start cooking my rice first. Whether you use a rice cooker or not, rice is easy. It can sit in your pantry for some time as long as it’s sealed properly and you can cook it any number of ways. I currently use a rice cooker, but I cooked it on the stovetop for many years.

Just boil water. Add half the amount of rice and reduce to the lowest heat to steam. Cover and wait. Cooking time depends on the kind of rice and your heat source. You can adjust the ratio of liquid to suit your needs. Less water yields drier rice. As long as your stovetop burner is not too hot, that should be fine. It’s okay to peek and fluff gently every 20 minutes or so. What kind of rice do you have? Wild rice cooks longer than others and requires more water. White rice cooks the fastest. My brown rice takes about 40 minutes. See what works for you in your kitchen.

So, what do we have here? Began with chopped onions, bell pepper and celery in the skillet with olive oil. Let it cook a little bit while I stirred and then added some shrimp stock and canned tomatoes. You could quit here by reducing heat to let it do its own thing for 15 minutes or so after adding spices. I used French thyme, paprika, smoked paprika, a tiny bit of oregano and basil. I would have put a bay leaf in there, but I only had one left, so I decided to save it for another dish.

Making Roux

I decided a little late in the game that I wanted to add a roux. Usually I would start with the roux, but I often change directions in the middle of cooking. This is why I don’t usually tell Michael ahead of time what he’s having for dinner. I just say, “You’re gonna love it” because I often make it up as I go along.

A roux is basically equal parts of oil and flour. There are different methods to make it, but because I was in a hurry, I did the fast method. Into another skillet, I put about a tablespoon of flour and about a tablespoon of grapeseed oil. Over high heat, I whisked it quickly until it turned brown and then added to my vegetable mixture. It thickens the dish and adds a nice smoky flavor. We like a dark brown roux, but if you’re new to making a fast roux, I would recommend being careful because it can go from dark brown to black very fast.

Roasting Corn

Here’s an easy and delicious way to do corn that I learned from our friend, Tim. Rinse the corn while leaving it in the husk. Put it in the oven at 350 and let it coook for 45 minutes.

Once I’m almost ready to serve dinner, shrimp goes in to cook with sauce because it only takes a few minutes to turn pink, which means it’s ready.

Now, go experiment in your kitchen and have some fun.

Want more ideas for seafood? Please read Caesar Salad next.