Yassa Shrimp

Recipe courtesy of Modern Creole by Eric Cook

Serves 6

Ingredients: 

FOR THE SAUCE

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • ¼ cup diced celery
  • ¼ cup diced green bell pepper
  • ½ cup diced onion
  • 2 tablespoons minced garlic
  • 1 quart hot Shrimp Stock (see below)
  • 1 tablespoon Creole mustard
  • zest and juice of 2 medium lemons
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano
  • 2 tablespoons Creole seasoning
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes

FOR THE SHRIMP

  • 3 pounds (U-10-count) head-on Gulf shrimp
  • Creole seasoning
  • 2 tablespoons blended oil or vegetable oil
  • 2 tablespoons chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley, for serving
  • ¼ cup thinly sliced green onions, for serving
  • hot French bread, for serving

SHRIMP STOCK

MAKES 1 GALLON

  • 1 pound shrimp shells and heads
  • 2 medium onions, coarsely chopped
  • 2 stalks celery, coarsely chopped
  • 1 medium head garlic, cut in half crosswise

Yassa Shrimp

Click image to enlarge

 

Method: 

SAUCE

Make a blonde roux. A large cast-iron Dutch oven is the best choice for making roux because of the way cast iron evenly retains heat. Use a roux spoon or a spoon with a flat end to constantly move and scrape the hot mixture around.

Start by warming the oil in the Dutch oven set over medium-high heat. Slowly add in the flour and start stirring. Stir constantly until the roux is a blonde color, about 3 minutes.

Add the celery, bell pepper, and onion and cook until softened, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and give it a quick stir. One ladle at a time, add the stock and keep stirring as the roux melts down into the hot stock. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook the mixture until it thickens slightly, about 20 minutes.

Whisk in the mustard, lemon zest, and juice. Add the oregano, Creole seasoning, pepper, and red pepper flakes and mix well.

Remove the mixture from the heat and whisk in the cold butter, 1 cube at a time. Do not add more butter until each cube has melted. The sauce will thicken. Set the sauce aside in a warm place. Do not put it back on the heat or the sauce will break.

SHRIMP

Season the shrimp with the Creole seasoning.

Warm the oil in a large cast-iron pan set over high heat. When the oil shimmers, add the shrimp in a single layer and sear on one side until they begin to turn pink and release easily from the pan, 2 to 3 minutes. Use tongs to turn the shrimp and sear the other side. The shrimp should be firm, pink, and opaque.

To serve, arrange the shrimp on a serving platter and ladle the sauce over them and top with parsley and green onion. Serve with hot French bread.

SHRIMP STOCK

Combine the shrimp heads and shells in a stockpot set over very low heat. Add the onions, celery, garlic, and 1 gallon cold water and cook at a very low simmer (do not boil) for 1 hour. Cool and strain the stock. Discard the solids. Can freeze in an airtight container for 2 months, or keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

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Recipe excerpt from Modern Creole: A Taste of New Orleans Culture and Cuisine by Eric Cook with Jyl Benson, Photography by Sam Hanna. Reprinted by permission of Gibbs Smith Books. 

 

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