The Best Shrimp Creole

Sharing The Best Shrimp Creole!  Friends, this is IT!  This New Orleans-inspired dish is one I’ve been making for clients for as long as I’ve been a personal chef and this recipe never fails to please!

It’s always a little scary when you proclaim something to be…. The best!  The greatest!  The most perfect!

Well, can I just tell you I’ve made this a few times over a 17-year personal chef career?

I’ve been to New Orleans a couple of times and I really love that city.  What’s not to love?  Food.  Character.  Architecture.  Spirit!

The first time I had Shrimp Creole was on a trip to New Orleans my husband and I took shortly after we married.  Visiting New Orleans was something I had always wanted to do and my hubby made it happen.  This was also the trip I experienced grits for the first time at a bed and breakfast in Mississippi.  It was quite the “Hallelujah!”

Shrimp Creole is a dish of Louisiana Creole origin and has a tomato base.  There’s another famous New Orleans dish called Shrimp Etouffee which it shouldn’t be confused with because that dish has a roux base.

Shrimp Creole is a super-simple dish!

How to make Shrimp Creole:

• Start with the Holy Trinity.  The Holy Trinity in New Orleans cooking is simply onions, green bell pepper and celery.  It’s similar to a French mirepoix which is onions, celery and carrots.  However, this has green bell pepper instead of the carrot.  With the “Holy Trinity,” you want to keep the ratio approximately the same as a mirepoix:  2 parts onion, 1 part celery and 1 part green bell pepper.

• Then, cook the combination along with some garlic to melty, soft goodness in some oil and butter.

• It needs to be super melty soft so the flavors of the Holy Trinity really come through!

• Add the New Orleans-inspired seasonings!  Cajun seasoning, thyme, cayenne, bay leaf…
• Some tomato sauce…
• Worcestershire…
• The shrimp (preferably wild-caught American gulf shrimp!) …

• And you have The Best Shrimp Creole…

EVAAA!

Serve with rice, garnish with parsley and a lemon wedge or two.

The Best Shrimp Creole!

Hope you enjoy these other amazing New Orleans-inspired dishes!

• Low-Carb Jambalaya with Chicken, Shrimp and Sausage
• Baked Catfish Pecan Meuniere with Spicy Sauteed Greens
• Smothered Shrimp with Andouille Sausage and Creamy Parmesan Peppercorn Grits

Click to purchase these helpful tools and equipment to make The Best Shrimp Creole:  (Affiliate Links)

Yield: 4

The Best Shrimp Creole

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This New Orleans-inspired dish is one I've been making for clients for as long as I've been a personal chef and this recipe never fails to please!

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 medium green bell pepper, seeds and membrane removed finely chopped
• 2-3 stalks celery (you want about the same amount as green bell pepper)
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning (or to taste)
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 can (15-ounce) tomato sauce
• 1 cup water (approximately to rinse out the can)
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 pound peeled and deveined shrimp, tail removed
• Tabasco sauce, to taste
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley plus sprigs for garnish
• Lemon wedges
• Cooked rice, for serving

Instructions

1. Heat oil and butter over medium-high heat in a skillet or saute pan. Add the onion, pepper and celery.
2. Reduce heat to medium and cook approximately 10-12 minutes or until vegetables are very soft, adjusting heat as necessary so vegetables don't burn.
3. Add the garlic, Cajun seasoning, thyme, cayenne pepper and bay leaf. Stir briefly.
4. Add the tomato sauce, water and Worcestershire.
5. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered 8-10 minutes or until sauce thickens.
6. Stir in the shrimp and cook 1-2 minutes or until just firm.
7. Add hot sauce, salt and black pepper to taste.
8. Remove bay leaf, sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately with hot, cooked rice and lemon wedges.

Nutrition Information

Yield

4
Amount Per Serving Calories 370 Total Fat 15g Saturated Fat 5g Trans Fat 0g Unsaturated Fat 10g Cholesterol 255mg Sodium 2693mg Carbohydrates 30g Fiber 4g Sugar 8g Protein 30g

The nutritional information above is computer-generated and only an estimate. Please do your own research with the products you're using if you have a serious health issue or are following a specific diet.