Seafood Pilau

LOWCOUNTRY PERLOO

Steps:

• Peel all the shrimp and put the shells, and heads if you have them, into a pot with the bay leaves, onion, celery and carrot. Cover with 7 cups of water and bring to a simmer. Simmer gently for 30 minutes while you chop everything else for the perloo.
• As the stock is simmering, slowly fry the bacon in a large, heavy pot. When it is crispy, remove the bacon (eat a slice) and chop roughly. Set the bacon aside.
• Saute the 2 cups chopped onion, 2 cups chopped celery and the diced yellow bell pepper in the bacon fat until soft but not browned. Add the garlic and rice and cook, stirring often for 3 minutes, until the rice turns translucent.
• Add the white wine, tomatoes and chile pepper to the pot and stir well.
• Set up a fine-meshed strainer with a paper towel in it. Ladle two or three ladles of the shrimp stock through this strainer into the rice pot. Stir well. Cook, stirring often, until the liquid is absorbed. Repeat this process until the rice is tender.
• Add one more ladle of shrimp stock to the pot, along with the shrimp and the parsley. Mix to combine, cover the pot and turn the heat to its lowest setting. Cover for 5 minutes to let the shrimp cook, then mix in the bacon and black pepper and serve.

HAMPTON PLANTATION SHRIMP PILAU

Steps:

• 1. Fry bacon until crisp. Drain. Add bacon grease and salt to water to cook rice. Cook rice according to package directions. In large skillet, melt butter and saute celery and pepper. Sprinkle shrimp with Worcestershire sauce and dredge in flour. Add shrimp to pan and simmer until flour is cooked. Season with salt and pepper. Add cooked rice and mix well. Stir in crumbled bacon. Serves 6 Charleston Receipts Repeats, Junior League of Charleston, South Carolina

SHRIMP PILAF

Steps:

• Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a deep, heavy 4-5 quart pan over medium heat; add shrimp and cook, stirring, until almost opaque throughout, about 3 to 4 minutes.
• Lift out and set aside (shrimp will get more cooking time later).
• Pour pan juices into a 1-quart measuring cup; add clam juice and enough water to make 2 1/2 cups, set aside.
• Melt remaining 1/4 cup butter in pan over medium heat; add onion and garlic, cook, stirring often, until onion is soft, about 5 minutes.
• Add rice and turmeric; cook, stirring for 2-3 minutes, add celery, salt, pepper and clam juice mixture.
• Reduce heat, cover and simmer until rice is almost tender to bite, about 15 minutes.
• With a fork, lightly mix tomatoes and peas into rice; scatter shrimp over top, cover and continue to cook until rice is tender to bite and liquid is absorbed, about 10 more minutes.
• Sprinkle with parsley.

CHARLESTON SHRIMP PILAU

Steps:

• Fry bacon until crisp; remove and cook onion in bacon fat until translucent.
• Add tomatoes and rice; mix well, cover and heat to boiling point.
• Lower heat and simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally with a fork to prevent sticking.
• Set in a warm place where there is no danger of scorching for another 20 minutes to allow the rice to become fluffy.
• Add shrimp and bacon; place in a casserole dish and bake at 350F for 15 minutes.

SEAFOOD PILAU

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• In a bowl, mix ketchup, Worcestershire, sugar, coconut milk, water, and hot sauce. Set aside.
• Heat a large skillet over high heat. Saute vegetables in the olive oil; first the carrots, then onions, red peppers, garlic, and last, the thyme. Saute until fragrant. Turn the cooked vegetables out onto a dish.
• Reheat skillet, adding more oil if necessary. Saute cod until almost done, add to vegetables.
• Reheat the skillet. Add the ketchup mixture, and bring to a boil. Add back the vegetables and cod. Stir in the rice, mixing well. Keep moving the rice, like a stir-fry.
• After a few minutes, add the crawfish, pigeon peas, and the scallions. Season, to taste. Scatter the shrimp on the top of the rice. Cover the skillet and put it into the oven for about 15 minutes. Cook until shrimp are opaque, and slightly curled.