Adapted from Acadiana Table: Cajun and Creole Home Cooking from the Heart of Louisiana (Harvard Common Press, 2016)
Crawfish-Stuffed Shrimp with Creole Rice
Makes 4 servings
Ingredients
- 12 colossal fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined (tails left on)
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup finely diced yellow onion
- ½ cup finely diced celery
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ to 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 cup cooked crawfish tails, chopped
- 2 tablespoons dry vermouth or white wine
- 2 cups fresh bread crumbs, divided
- 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese Creole Rice (recipe follows)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Using a sharp paring knife, butterfly shrimp by slicing lengthwise from tail into meat along inner curl, cutting into but not through each shrimp. Fold flaps open to create a flat surface for stuffing. Cover and refrigerate.
- In a large skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add onion and celery; cook until onion turns translucent, about 5 minutes. Add parsley, rosemary, garlic, salt, and peppers, stirring to combine. Add crawfish and vermouth; cook for 5 minutes. Add 1 cup bread crumbs and Parmesan. Stir, and add remaining 1 cup bread crumbs if mixture is too watery. As you incorporate bread crumbs, add a bit of water, if necessary, to thin it out. (The mixture should have a moist consistency but still be firm enough to keep its shape when stuffed into the shrimp.)
- Lay shrimp on prepared pan, flat side up. Place 1 tablespoon stuffing onto each shrimp, and shape it into a mound. With leftover stuffing, go back to each shrimp, and add more until it is all used up.
- Bake until shrimp are cooked through and tops begin to brown, about 20 minutes. Divide Creole Rice among 4 plates, and top each with 3 shrimp.
- Note: If crawfish tails are not available, substitute crabmeat.
Notes
Note: If crawfish tails are not available, substitute crabmeat.
Creole Rice
Makes 4 servings
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup diced yellow onion ½ cup diced celery
- 1 cup chopped roasted tomato
- ½ cup chicken stock, plus more if needed
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 2 tablespoons white wine
- 3 cups cooked long-grain rice
- ½ cup yellow cherry tomatoes, halved
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons cream cheese
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- Dash hot sauce
- Kosher salt
- Ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and celery; cook until onion turns translucent, about 5 minutes. Add chopped tomatoes, ½ cup stock, parsley, and wine, stirring to combine. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to a simmer, and add rice, breaking up any clumps.
- Stir in cherry tomatoes, tomato paste, cream cheese, and paprika. Cook over low heat for 5 minutes. If mixture looks dry, add more stock. At this point, the rice will begin to take a creamy risotto texture and the rich color of a Creole jambalaya. Season with hot sauce, salt, and pepper to taste. Turn off heat, and keep warm until serving.
Notes
Note: Canned fire-roasted tomatoes, drained, may be substituted.
