Dooky Chase’s Creole Stewed Shrimp
Serves 4
Stewed shrimp is one of those dishes not often seen outside of private kitchens. It’s an old-fashioned Creole favorite, also known as Shrimps and Rice.
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup chopped celery
2 cloves garlic, mashed and chopped
2 cans (16 ounces each) tomato sauce
2 cups water
1/2 cup seeded diced bell pepper
1 tablespoons Lawry’s seasoning salt
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
2 large white potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
4 cups cooked long grain rice
In a heavy-bottomed 6 to 8 quart pot or deep cast iron skillet, heat the oil
over medium heat. When the oil is hot, gradually stir in the flour. Cook
over low heat, stirring constantly, using a wooden spoon. Cook the flour
until it forms a medium brown roux, about 20 to 30 minutes. The roux will
be very hot, caution while stirring. Do not allow the roux to stick to the
bottom of the pot. If the roux sticks or burns, discard the mixture and
start over. A roux that sticks or burns will give the finished dish a
bitter and scorched taste.
How to Make a Roux
A roux is nothing more than flour and fat, cooked together to form a
flavorful thickening agent for cooking. Rouxs are used to thicken gumbos,
stews, fricassees and other hearty Cajun dishes. Marcelle’s mom’s elementary
Cajun cooking lesson was always, “If you make a roux, you have a stew.”
“Paul Prudhomme fries his roux,” says Marcelle, “but this is tricky and if
you get it wrong you have a burned mess. The trick to making a good roux is
to do it slow and easy.”
Marcelle prefers cast iron for making roux, but she admits you can also use
stainless steel cookware. Nonstick cookware just doesn’t work well for
making rouxs.
Block out a little time to make your roux. Marcelle warns that once you
begin the roux making process you cannot even THINK about leaving a roux on the stove. Marcelle playfully claims that family members could have died
writhing and screaming on the kitchen floor and still her mother wouldn’t
abandon stirring the cooking roux.
Microwave Roux In addition to the method below, you can brown flour for roux in a microwave - start with equal parts oil (Marcelle uses regular vegetable oil) and flour. Cook the mixture, stopping to stir every 5 seconds or so, until browned to your liking.
Make Extra You can make lots of roux, Marcelle usually does. Keep what you
don’t use in a tightly covered jar in the refrigerator for up to three
months.
Making Roux Step by Step
-
Using a heavy cast iron skillet, heat equal parts oil and flour over
medium heat (you can use the oil of your choice – Marcelle used vegetable
oil. You can also use lard like they did in the old days. -
Use a wooden spoon to stir the mixture, incorporating the flour into the
oil and stirring until the mixture becomes smooth. -
Once the oil begins to foam, it begins to brown. Watch it carefully and
stir constantly. When making roux, don’t even THINK about leaving it.
There’s a fine line between a perfectly cooked roux and a burned mess and
constant stirring is the key. -
Rouxs can be used at various stages of cooking – from lightly golden to
deep nutty brown. Your recipe will usually specify. The darker the roux, the
more pronounced nutty flavor it will have. The photo above shows this
advanced stage of cooking the roux. Marcelle used it to make a batch of her
Chicken and Andouille Gumbo.
When the roux is the color of peanut butter, lower the heat, and add the
chopped onions and celery. Sauté the vegetables until the onions are
translucent, about 7 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic, tomato sauce, and
simmer for 10 minutes.
Slowly add the water, stirring as you pour. Be careful not to leave lumps.
Continue to stir, add bell pepper, seasoned alt, pepper, thyme, and parsley.
Increase the heat to medium and allow to come to a boil. Cook for 5
minutes.
Add potatoes and continue cooking for 10 minutes. Lower the fire and add
the cleaned shrimp. Let the stew simmer until the potatoes and shrimp are
done, about 10 minutes.
Serve over cooked white rice and garnish with parsley.