Shrimp Fricassee! This rich, saucy shrimp dish has a satisfying, stick-to-your-ribs quality that makes it a perfect dish when you're craving a hearty meal.
I spent so much time and energy writing my "Things to Eat, Drink & Do in New Orleans" post that, in the end, I purposely excluded the recipe that I originally wanted to include in that post: Shrimp Fricassee.
I figured no one would scroll allllllll the way down the post {it was a long one} and I sure didn't want to risk having anyone miss out on this bowl of hearty goodness just because I'm long-winded. So I decided to give this its very own, stand-alone post to ensure that it got a chance to shine, front and center.
In honor of Mardi Gras, I wanted to share something with some Louisiana flair, and I found just that in a recipe I found, fittingly, in Louisiana Cookin' Magazine. The original recipe was for Crawfish Fricasee, but since those little mud puppies aren't as easy to get your hands on down here in South Florida {I don't typically see them, at least} I swapped them out for plump shrimp instead.
I know that there are strong traditional methods of cooking certain things that probably shouldn't be tampered with lest you want a feisty Cajun on your case, but I went right ahead and made a few little changes that, luckily, I don't feel hurt the integrity of the dish.
I reduced the amount of butter and flour that forms the blond roux {the thickening base for many of Louisiana's most beloved dishes}, and used vegetable stock instead of chicken stock just because that's what I usually have on hand. Though the amount of liquid may seem excessive once you pour everything in and let it start simmering, I can assure you that it reduces down to a perfectly thick, rich, saucy concoction that is ideal for ladling over a bowl of hot rice.
I'll stop talking so we don't get into that "long-winded" territory again. {Wait... are we already there??} I couldn't really do it justice in words, anyway. 😉
Shrimp Fricassee
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ cup flour
- 1 cup diced onion
- ½ cup diced carrot
- ½ cup diced celery
- ½ canned diced tomatoes
- 1 cup sliced white mushrooms
- 2-3 cloves garlic minced or grated
- 1 quart vegetable stock {or chicken stock}
- ½ cup white wine
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- About ½ teaspoon salt {more or less depending on how salty your stock is}
- Cracked black pepper to taste
- 1 pound raw shrimp peeled and deveined {tails removed if preferred}
Instructions
- Heat butter and olive oil in a large, deep saucepan over medium heat until melted. Sprinkle flour over the butter and whisk until smooth. Continue to cook, whisking often, until the mixture has turned a golden tan color {a blond roux}.
- Stir in onion, carrot, celery and tomatoes, mushroom & garlic, and cook for about 5 minutes. The mixture will thicken and become pasty.
- Add vegetable stock a little at a time while whisking to avoid lumps, then whisk in wine and add bay leaves and thyme. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Bring to a bubble and allow to simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring/scraping the bottom of the pan every so often, until the liquid has reduced and the sauce has thickened quite a bit.
- Add the raw shrimp to the pan and cook for about 5 minutes, until opaque and cooked through.
- Serve over {or with a scoop of} rice.
