Coconut Shrimp Curry

 Alrighty, here's my 1st Thai curry, which I've been working on & tweaking for little over a year now!  Whether you love curry's, or find them a little aggressive for your taste, you should give this one a try!!  I think you'll find it smooth & creamy, with that perfect lightly sweet & savory flavor with just a little heat like a Texas chili, a heat that you don't actually feel in your mouth, but rather only makes your scalp sweat a little, if anything!  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 cups Vidalia Onion (3/8" chop)
4 cups Celery (1/4" slice)
1 bundle Cilantro (1 loose cup/course chopped no stems)
1 medium Jalapeno (fine/mince chopped)
1 stick Butter
16oz Vanilla Yogurt
1 can Coconut milk (13.5oz)
5 cups water

Spices:
2.5 tbs curry powder
1 tbs garlic powder
1 tbs onion Powder
1 tsp white pepper
1 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp turmeric
1.5 tbs course salt

Prep time = 45 mins
Cook time = 45 mins
Total time = 1.5 hrs
Feeds 6 people
Requires 1 cup cooked Basmati rice/serving

(Watch my Video for the Best Healthiest way to cook Rice.)

Shrimp Creole

The best way to describe this dish is, it's like a cajun style cacciatore', except with shrimp instead of chicken.

Shrimp Creole

(For shell allergies, pending level, try scallops, otherwise use a white fish like halibut, cod, or pollock; Get an extra piece for stock; puree & add to water & simmer to make stock...)

2-3 lbs Raw shrimp (35-40 ct) w/shells (heads if available), deveined & peeled

3 cups Seafood Stock (instructions)
2 slices Bacon chopped

3 lbs Roma Tomatoes 1/2" diced
2 cups 1/4" Diced onion
2 cups 1/4" Sliced celery
2 cups 1/2" Diced green bell pepper
1 tbsp. Minced garlic

4 tbsp. Butter
2 Bay leaves crumbled
4 tsp Course sea or kosher salt
1/2 tsp White pepper
1/2 tsp Red pepper (cayenne)
1 tsp Black pepper
2 tbsp. Smoked paprika
1/2 tsp Dried oregano
1 1/2 tsp Dried basil
1 1/2 tsp Dried thyme

1 1/2 tsp Onion powder

1 1/2 tsp Garlic powder
2 tbsp. Tabasco sauce
1/2 cup water
1-8oz can Tomato sauce
1 1/2 tbsp. Brown sugar (packed)
3-4 tbsp. Of caramel colored roux  (instructions)
5 cups Cooked rice

Instructions;

1) In a small pan, get your roux ingredients ready; use 3 tbs flour and 3 tbs veg. oil. then set aside. (roux instructions)

2) Peel, devein & rinse the shrimp (leave on counter/bowl to come to room temp) use shells (?& heads?) to make seafood stock.  (stock instructions)

3) Finely slice the bacon, cross length, into about 1/4" pieces.  Using a large pot, on medium heat, fry until all fat is rendered & pieces are crispy.

4) On med-high add the onions to the crisped bacon/grease & cook until lightly caramelized & just starting to turn transparent.

5) Add the following, & cook on med /m-high for 15 min.s stirring constantly.

2 tbsp. Butter
1/2 cup water
2 cups 1/8" Sliced celery
2 cups 1/2" Diced green bell pepper
1 tbsp. Minced garlic

6) Add the Roma tomatoes, reduce heat to med. & cook for 20 min.s, stirring frequently.

7) Add the following, mix thoroughly & cook on med-low for 20 min.s stirring frequently.

2 tbsp. Butter
8oz can Tomato sauce
2 tbsp. Tabasco sauce
All the dry ingredients (spices/sugar)

8) Add the 3 cups of Seafood stock & simmer for 15 mins.  

9) Make your "Caramel colored" roux last & add it to the pot while it's still super hot, & thoroughly mix in.  Now bring back to a vigorous boil.

 
10) Remember, Seafood cooks very quickly, so bring the creole back to a boil, then add all the shrimp & give it a quick stir, then cover & remove from heat.  Leave set for 15 min.s, to poach the shrimp!

Spoon a couple ladles of Shrimp Creole over 1/2 cup of steamed rice & serve with lots of French bread!

Enjoy,  Todd

Prep = 1.5 hrs
Total time = about 2.5 hrs
Feeds 6-10 people pending sides

Making Seafood stock

Making seafood stock is done like any other stock, by boiling the bones & trimmings/giblets from the protein/meats being used.  In this case, we have the shrimp shells ( & heads if available? ) & the juice from any canned meat if being used (which should be set aside & used as part of the required amount of stock to be used.)

Using a large pot, add at least a cup or 2 more water than is required for stock amount needed.  Add the shells/? heads & boil for about 45 min.s, strain & set aside the required amount for use.  that's it!! 

good luck & enjoy!

Todd

Seafood Gumbo w/ smoked Andouille sausage

Here's my Seafood Gumbo recipe.  I put this together about 25 yrs ago, I have tweaked  it very little since then.  I had to lower the pepper content so that my Yankee friends could handle it, lol. It's very authentic & as good if not better that most you'll find.  Cajun food pushes the seasonings to the limit, ensuring to give you the most robust eating experience possible; I get a lot of compliments with this dish!  I hope you enjoy!

Seafood Gumbo

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs raw shrimp (35-40 ct) w/shells (& heads if available), deveined & peeled
• 1/2 lb scallops, marble sized
• 1 can white lump crab meat (or fresh soft shell if available) 
• 5 cups Seafood Stock (instructions below)
• 1/2 lb Andouille smoked sausage (or good smoked polish) sliced & cut into 1/2 moon pieces
• 1 stick of margarine
• 2 1/2 cups diced yellow onion (vadalia if available)
• 2 cups diced green bell pepper
• 2 cups diced celery
• 1 tbs minced garlic
• 1/2 tsp red pepper
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp white pepper
• 3 tbs gumbo file'
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano leaves
• 1/4 tsp dried sweat basil
• 1 bay leaf, crumbled
• 1.5 tbs Garlic powder
• 1.5 tbs Onion powder
• 1-1/4 tsp salt
• 1-1/2 tsp sweet paprika
• 4 tsp Tabasco sauce
• 1 cup crushed tomatoes (canned)
• 1/2 cup tomato sauce
• 4-5 cups cooked rice 
• 6 tbs modest dark roux ( Roux instructions )

Seafood stock;

Using large pot, boil 7 cups of water with shrimp shells (? heads) & all (liquids from canned crab & scallops) for about an hr., boiling down level to about 5 cups.  Strain out shells, & if necessary, may add enough water to bring level up to the necessary 5 cups!

Instructions;

A.) Using at least a 4 qt pot, melt 1 stick of margarine, then add:

• 2 1/2 cups diced yellow onion (vidalia if available)
• 2 cups diced green bell pepper
• 2 cups diced celery
• 1 tbs minced garlic

B.) & saute' on high for 10 min.s, then add the following combined spices:

• 1/2 tsp red pepper
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp white pepper
• 3 tbs gumbo file'
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano leaves
• 1/4 tsp dried sweat basil
• 1 bay leaf, crumbled
• 1-1/4 tsp salt
• 1-1/2 tsp sweet paprika

C.) & saute' on high for 10 min.s, stirring constantly, then add;

• 1 cup crushed tomatoes (canned)
• 1/2 cup tomato sauce
• 4 tsp Tabasco sauce

D) & simmer on medium for 15 min.s, stirring constantly.
E) Add 6 tbs. of a modest dark roux & 1 cup of the seafood stock, stirring constantly until thoroughly mixed; then proceed to step #1 below.
( Roux instructions )

1. Add 5 cups, or the remaining seafood stock "on medium high" & slowly bring to a boil, stirring lightly. 
2. Then reduce heat to low & simmer for 30 min.s, stirring every 5-10 min.s or so. 
3. Next, in a frying pan, brown the smoked sausage, then add it to the gumbo.  
4. Seafood cooks very quickly, so bring the gumbo back to a boil, then add all the seafood & give it a quick stir, then cover & remove from heat.  Leave set for 15 min.s, to poach the seafood!
5. Spoon 1 heaping cup of gumbo over 1/2 cup of cooked rice & serve with lots of french bread! 

Feeds 6 - 8 people when served with french bread; 8 - 10 people when severed with salad, french bread & corn on the cob.  (about 45 min.s prep time, around 2 1/2 hrs total.)

Enjoy!!  Todd