Cajun-Creole Style Shrimp Stew

by LEON BOUTEILLER

A long time ago in a place far away I once worked on oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico. I worked out of Morgan City, Louisiana and was sent to the offshore rigs via helicopter. These were semi- submersible drilling rigs that could be moved from location to location. I also worked on rigs that were permanently anchored and functioned as pumping stations to move the crude oil onto tanker ships or directly to shore via a pipeline. These stations had as many as one hundred fifty workers for the drilling rigs and as few as a dozen on a pumping station. Oh! I wasn’t a deck hand or roustabout. I was hidden deep inside the bowels of the facility in the kitchen. I was a cook. There was no lofty term such as “chef”. I was the cook.

It was a bit of a culture shock. From the Northeast, I was transplanted to a population of Southerners who expected their meals to be familiar. When I first started I had the good fortune to work with some great cooks. They taught me about the prerequisite biscuits and smothered this and braised that. I made gallons upon gallons of roux; white, blonde or brown, also called chocolate roux. It’s a tedious process that requires patience with no quick method to make large batches.

I’m a quick study for most things food related so I was soon elevated to head cook and the responsibility of menu and food purchasing for the rig. I learned quickly to provide meals that the crew would enjoy. I also learned not to introduce my favorites from New England.

One of the first head cooks that I met was a man twice my age who took a liking to me. When we had a few vacation days he took me home to meet his girlfriend. I learned later that his purpose was to introduce me to his girlfriend’s daughter. Fine by me as I was single but I was too old for her teenaged daughter. There I was treated to a wonderful meal, home cooked and steeped in the local traditions. I remember the main dish called simply “catfish stew.” It begins with a dark roux, followed by some onion, garlic and bell pepper. After the vegetables have wilted, stock along with seasonings and, of course, some local catfish fillets. Served over steamed white rice, a side of slow braised collard greens and a biscuit. It was wonderful!

Today I offer a recipe that is similar to what I experienced at that home in Louisiana. The only change is substituting Gulf shrimp for catfish. I have wild shrimp in the freezer and no catfish at the market today. I’m stuck on this memory; she often substituted other fish, chicken or squirrel.

CAJUN-CREOLE STYLE SHRIMP STEW
Serves 2 | Doubles or Triples easily

Ingredients:

1 pound gulf shrimp with shells, I used U15 shrimp but 18/20 would also be a good choice
½ cup diced onion
½ cup diced red bell pepper
1 clove garlic, crushed and minced
1 cup shrimp stock
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons tomato paste
2 bay leaves
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
¼ teaspoon dry thyme
¼ cup chopped scallions
Steamed rice for service

Method:

Peel and devein the shrimp
Put the shrimp shells in a pot with 1 1/4 cups water and bring to a boil. Simmer for ten minutes, strain and set aside
Melt the butter in a sauté pan and stir in the flour. Cook on medium low heat, stirring occasionally until the roux is brown, about like a chocolate bar
Turn the heat to medium and add the onion, bell pepper and garlic to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until wilted. Stir in the cayenne, thyme, bay leaves and tomato paste
Add one cup of the reserved stock, stirring constantly
Bring to a boil and simmer on low for 5 minutes
Add the shrimp to the pan and cook just until done. This will take three to five minutes depending on the size of the shrimp. Remember to remove the bay leaves
This is not supposed to be a thick gravy, so you may need to add some stock or water to thin it out a bit.

Service:

Serve in warm bowls over rice and shower with the chopped scallions.

This is a dish steeped in the traditions of the Gulf Coast. You might not find it in any restaurants of the region. You will find it in the kitchens of people who live there. Serve with a buttery biscuit and a side of well cooked greens and you’ll have something special.

Enjoy!