Easy Shrimp Creole

After the tragedy of the oil spill in the gulf, you guys know how I came out in support of the fishermen there and returning to the coast to support the local economy.  So when I was contacted by the Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board asking if I’d like them to send me a pound of fresh Louisiana shrimp, I jumped on it.  I had been contemplating doing a post about Shrimp Creole for a long time and this was the perfect opportunity.  Sara with the Seafood Board told me that my shrimp would be sent from Lance Nacio, the owner of Anna Marie Seafood.  I got to doing a little research and found that Lance has an innovative and unprecedented method of delivering the freshest shrimp possible.  He has a freezer on board his vessel, the Anna Marie, and freezes the shrimp within an hour of catching.  The end product is shrimp that are the closest thing to straight out of the water that you can get.  He is also running a sustainable operation by using revolutionary shrimping nets that allow turtles and other sea life to easily escape.  He’s really got a great operation.  All of this was evident when I received my overnight package of some of the prettiest shrimp I’ve ever seen.  After running them under cool water, they were defrosted and ready to go.  Honestly, these were absolutely the best looking shrimp I have ever cooked.  No exaggeration.  They ended up sending me 5 pounds rather than just 1, and I was quite delighted.  The recipe uses only about 2 pounds so the rest went on the grill with a little garlic and lemon (my favorite way to eat fresh beautiful shrimp).   It’s really amazing to taste the difference between wild caught gulf shrimp over farm raised.  The taste and quality just aren’t even close.  I always, always support local fisherman and gulf seafood.  I hope you will, too.

Ingredients

• 2 to 2.5 lbs raw shrimp (I used 10/15 count, but another is fine)
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 1 medium bell pepper, chopped
• 1 stalk of celery, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 28 oz canned, diced tomatoes
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 to 2 tablespoons of Zatarain’s Creole Seasoning
• dash of hot sauce
• green onion for garnish

Instructions

1. Peel and devein shrimp.  (I used 10/15 count shrimp, but you are welcome to use a different size.  Shrimp are graded by size in terms of approximately how many it takes to make a pound.)
2. In a large dutch oven, heat vegetable oil over medium heat.  Add onion, bell pepper, and celery and saute until onions are translucent.
3. Add garlic and saute 30 to 45 seconds, being cautious to not burn it.
4. Stir in tomatoes with juice and chicken broth.  Bring to a simmer and season with Zatarain’s Creole Seasoning and hot sauce.  One tablespoon of creole seasoning should be fine for people who don’t like any heat, but I prefer 2.  (If you choose to use another seasoning, be cautious about the salt.  Different seasonings have different amounts of salt in them.)
5. Add shrimp and cook until shrimp and pink and cooked through.  Serve over hot white rice.  Garnish with chopped green onions.