Creole Shrimp Stew With Fennel Food

CREOLE SHRIMP STEW

Steps:

• 1. Cook a pot of white rice, drain, rinse once with cold water to stop cooking process and set aside.
• 2. In large saucepan or medium stockpot, over medium heat, make a medium brown roux with 2 T. butter & flour, stirring constantly. (See Note below) ***If you can find Roux in a jar at the grocery store, use that to make this quick and easy.***
• 3. Once roux reaches color slightly darker than peanut butter, reduce heat to medium low and add onion, green onion, garlic, bell pepper, celery, parsley to the roux and stir very frequently until vegetables are tender. I like to keep mine in the roux mixture for 15-20 minutes. Vegetables will start to blend with roux to make a paste - that's when it's ready for the next step.
• 4. Add tomato paste and sauce; stir to blend in with seasoning mixture and reduce heat to lowest setting. Let flavors blend, stirring frequently for 10 minutes.
• 5. Begin adding stock as needed, stirring constantly to keep smooth. As it heats up and thickens add more stock to reach a medium soup consistency. Simmer for at least 20 minutes, but the longer you simmer it, the better it gets. Keep heat on low and stir frequently. If sauce starts to get too thick add a little stock or water. Add creole seasoning and taste - add salt, pepper & adjust seasonings as needed.
• 6. Add the raw shrimp and cook for 10 minutes until shrimp are completely cooked and start to curl up. If using pre-cooked crawfish or lump crabmeat add that about 5 minutes before you're ready to eat and heat through. Taste again and adjust seasonings because the shrimp will absorb some of the salt from the sauce. Serve in deep bowl over white rice and french bread. Garnish with chopped fresh basil if desired.
• 7. *NOTE: You can make a roux in a 4 cup glass measuring cup in the microwave. Combine butter and flour, and nuke on high at 30 second intervals, stirring after each. Cook until desired color. I like to stop my roux at the peanut butter color stage. *TIP: DON'T throw away those shrimp heads and peels. Freeze them in a little water and save until you have enough to make shrimp stock.
• 8. *OPTIONS: You can substitute shrimp with crawfish tails, lump crabmeat and/or scallops

CREOLE SHRIMP STEW

Steps:

• Cook bacon in large, heavy pan over medium heat until fat escapes and bacon is crisp.
• Blend in flour and whisk until it burns a peanut brown color.
• Add celery, onion, green pepper and green onions and cook, stirring until vegetables soften, about 10 minutes.
• Blend in tomato paste, seafood stock, water, lemon juice, sugar and spices to taste.
• Stir to blend mixture into a roux.
• Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer very slowly, stirring frequently, until sauce thickens, about 10 minutes.
• Add uncooked, shelled, deveined shrimp and parsley and continue to cook over low heat, just until shrimp turn pink. taste and adjust seasonings.
• Serve hot over hot rice. 4 servings.

SHRIMP AND POTATO STEW

Steps:

• Season the shrimp with the Essence and transfer to the refrigerator until needed.
• Heat a large saucepan and add 1 tablespoon of the oil. When hot, add the shrimp shells and cook, stirring, until fragrant and pink, 3 to 4 minutes. Add 10 cups of water and bay leaf and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook, skimming any foam that rises to the surface, for 30 minutes. Strain through a fine mesh strainer and discard solids. Set shrimp stock aside.
• In a heavy bottomed Dutch oven or soup pot, heat the 1 cup vegetable oil and, when hot, whisk in the flour. Cook, stirring constantly, until a roux is formed the color of dark peanut butter, about 7 minutes. Add the onion and cook until soft, 4 to 6 minutes. Add the garlic and 2 tablespoons of parsley and cook for 1 minute. Add the potatoes, 8 cups of the reserved shrimp stock, the salt, cayenne, and black pepper and bring to just to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are very tender and the sauce is thickened, 30 to 40 minutes. Add the andouille sausage and cook partially. Drain some of the fat and add shrimp, remaining 2 tablespoons parsley, green onions and red chile pepper and stir to combine. Remove from the heat and let sit for 5 minutes. Serve immediately over hot white rice in shallow bowls.
• Combine all ingredients thoroughly.
• Recipe from "New New Orleans Cooking", by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch, published by William Morrow, 1993.

FENNEL & GARLIC SHRIMP

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large (12-inch) saute pan over medium heat. Add the fennel and saute for 5 minutes, until tender but not browned. Turn the heat to medium-low, add the garlic and red pepper flakes, and cook at a very low sizzle for 2 to 3 minutes, until the garlic just begins to color.
• Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels, add them to the pan, and toss together with the fennel and olive oil. Spread the shrimp in one layer and cook over medium heat for 2 minutes on one side. Turn the shrimp and cook for 2 minutes on the other side, until they¿re pink and just cooked through.
• Off the heat, sprinkle with the parsley, 1 tablespoon of chopped fennel fronds, the Pernod (if using), the fleur de sel, and black pepper and serve it with bread to soak up all the pan juices.

CREOLE SHRIMP STEW WITH FENNEL

Steps:

• Heat oil in dutch oven. Add flour. Cook, stirring constantly over medium heat until a rich, beer bottle brown. Add onions, celery, garlic, fennel, red pepper. Cook until onions are clear. Add shrimp and cook until pink. Add all other seasonings and stock. (You can add water if nescessary to get the stew to the right consistency). Simmer for about 30 minutes. Serve over rice.

SEAFOOD STEW

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or stockpot, add the onions, potatoes, fennel, salt, and pepper, and saute over medium-low heat for 15 minutes, until the onions begin to brown. Add the wine and scrape up the brown bits with a wooden spoon. Add the tomatoes with their juices, stock, garlic, and saffron to the pot, bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. Add the shrimp, fish, and mussels, bring to a boil, then lower the heat, cover, and cook for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow the pot to sit covered for another 5 minutes. The fish and shrimp should be cooked and the mussels opened. Discard any mussels that don't open. Stir in the Pernod, orange zest, and salt, to taste. Serve ladled over 1 or 2 slices of toasted baguette.;
• Warm the oil in the pan over medium heat. Add the shrimp shells, onions, carrots, and celery over medium heat for 15 minutes, until lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook 2 more minutes. Add 1 1¿2 quarts of water, the white wine, tomato paste, salt, pepper, and thyme. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 1 hour. Strain through a sieve, pressing the solids. You should have approximately 1 quart of stock. If not, you can make up the difference with water or white wine.

SHRIMP AND WHITE BEANS WITH FENNEL AND PANCETTA

Steps:

• In a deep 12-inch skillet, heat the olive oil over medium. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, until it begins to crisp, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside on a paper towel-lined plate.
• Add the onion and sliced fennel to the skillet and cook until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic, fennel seeds and red-pepper flakes, if using, and cook until the garlic begins to soften and the fennel seeds become aromatic, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the crushed tomatoes and their juices. Fill the tomato can halfway with water, swish it around and add that, too.
• Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook on medium-low, allowing the flavors to come together, about 15 minutes.
• Turn heat back to medium, stir in the shrimp and cook until just pink, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the beans and the cooked pancetta and cook until warmed through, about 2 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary.
• Divide among bowls, top with the herbs and drizzle with a bit more olive oil, if desired.

LOUISIANA SHRIMP STEW

Steps:

• Brown flour in a non stick skillet over medium heat. After flour is brown, set aside.
• In another pot, melt butter and saute onion, green onion, garlic, celery, parsley until done.
• Add tomato paste and stir until mixed.
• Add browned flour, stirring until the mixture thickens. Add water if necessary to thin a little.
• Add remaining seasonings and shrimp. Cook over low heat for about 15 minutes or until the shrimp are done. Be careful not to overcook the shrimp.
• Serve over hot rice.

SHRIMP STEW

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add shrimp shells and cook, stirring occasionally, until well browned, about 10 minutes. Add thyme sprigs and cook 1 minute. Add wine, scraping up browned bits with a wooden spoon. Add clam juice and water and simmer 15 minutes. Pour broth through a fine sieve into a bowl, pressing on solids; discard solids.
• Melt butter in pot over medium-high heat and add leeks, fennel, and fennel seeds. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt; cook, stirring, until vegetables just start to brown, about 10 minutes. Add shrimp broth and cream; cook until warmed through.
• Stir in shrimp and cook until just cooked through, about 2 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and a squeeze of lemon juice. Divide stew among 6 shallow bowls and garnish with fennel fronds.

SEAFOOD CREOLE

Steps:

• Mix together oregano, salt, white pepper, black pepper, cayenne pepper, thyme, and basil in a small bowl; set aside.
• Melt butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat; stir in tomato, onion, celery, green bell pepper, and garlic. Cook and stir until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in chicken stock, tomato sauce, sugar, hot pepper sauce, and bay leaves. Reduce heat to low and bring sauce to a simmer. Stir in seasoning mix and simmer until the flavors have blended, about 20 minutes.
• Gently stir in rock shrimp, bay scallops, and haddock; bring sauce back to a simmer and cook until the shellfish and fish are opaque, about 20 more minutes. Remove bay leaves to serve.

SHRIMP CREOLE III

Steps:

• In a large heavy iron pot; medium heat, pour in olive oil and saute onions, celery, bell pepper and garlic until well wilted. Add flour and tomato puree and stir together. Gradually pour in 10.75 ounces of water.
• Cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour in diced tomatoes and wine; cook for 15 minutes.
• Season with hot sauce, Cajun seasoning, salt and parsley. Stir in the shrimp. Cover and cook over low heat for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, in a saucepan bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Add rice and stir. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
• When the dish is done, let it sit for 10 minutes. Serve over the cooked rice.

SEAFOOD STEW WITH FENNEL AND THYME

Steps:

• Combine mussels, 1 1/4 cups onions, wine, and 8 parsley sprigs in large pot; bring to boil. Cover and cook until mussels open, shaking pot often, about 5 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer mussels to large bowl to cool (discard any mussels that do not open). Strain cooking liquid into large measuring cup; discard vegetables in strainer. Add enough water to cooking liquid to measure 2 cups total. Remove mussels from shells if desired.
• Melt butter in same large pot over medium heat. Add remaining 1 1/4 cups onions, leeks, and fennel and sauté until leeks are soft, stirring frequently, about 7 minutes. Add reserved mussel cooking liquid, 4 parsley sprigs, clam juice, thyme sprigs, and bay leaves. Simmer uncovered until vegetables are tender and liquid has reduced by 1/3, about 25 minutes. Add halibut and scallops to broth and simmer until just opaque in center, about 4 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer halibut and scallops to bowl. Discard parsley sprigs, thyme sprigs, and bay leaves.
• Whisk crème fraîche and egg yolks in medium bowl to blend. Whisk in 1/2 cup hot cooking liquid from pot. Gradually stir yolk mixture into stew. Cook over medium heat until liquid thickens slightly, stirring constantly, about 5 minutes (do not allow mixture to boil). Return halibut, scallops, and mussels to pan. Cook until halibut is heated through, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup chopped parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Serve in warmed shallow bowls.
• *Crème fraîche is sold at some supermarkets. If unavailable, heat 1 cup whipping cream to lukewarm (85°F). Remove from heat and mix in 2 tablespoons buttermilk. Cover and let stand in warm, draft-free area until slightly thickened, 24 to 48 hours, depending on temperature of room. Refrigerate until ready to use.