Rock Shrimp Creole

Rock shrimp meets Creole cuisine in a spicy sauce with tomatoes, onions and peppers. Dip your favorite bread into a big bite of Louisiana.

Serves 6 8

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds rock shrimp, peeled and deveined
• ¼ cup butter
• ½ cup green bell pepper, diced to one-half inch
• ½ cup onion, diced to one-quarter inch
• ¼ cup celery, chopped fine
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp. flour, all purpose
• 1 can 14.5-ounce whole peeled tomatoes, roughly cut
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. salt
• ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
• ¼ tsp. black pepper
• 3-4 cups cooked rice

Preparation:

1. Rinse shrimp briefly and remove any large veins that are visible.
2. In a small sauce pan, melt 2 tbsp. of butter over medium heat.
3. Mix in flour and stir until dissolved and mixture begins to thicken, then reduce heat.
4. Add tomatoes and their juice to the butter and flour mixture, stir well, and heat through. The mixture will thicken. Hold warm.
5. In a large skillet, melt two tbsp. of butter, and over medium-high heat, cook bell pepper, onion, celery, and garlic until soft, but with a little bit of a crunch.
6. Add shrimp and cook until no longer transparent (three minutes).
7. Add tomato mixture, bring to a boil, cover and let simmer for five minutes.
8. Serve over hot rice (white or wild mixture).

Chef's Tip:

• If rock shrimp are only available cooked, then add the shrimp and the tomato mixture at the same time.
• Add a Cajun-style sausage when cooking the vegetables for an extra Cajun flair.
• Cajun- or Louisiana-style seasoning can be used instead of, or along with, salt, cayenne pepper and black pepper.
• Serve with French or sourdough bread.