Simple Shrimp Creole (Recipe)

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3 cups water

1 6-ounce can tomato paste

1/2 cup finely chopped green sweet pepper

1/4 cup finely chopped celery

1 teaspoon snipped parsley

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon bottled hot paper sauce 

Dash to 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper

1 bay leaf

2 cups cooked shrimp

2 cups hot cooked rice

Steps

1. In a large heavy skillet over  medium heat, melt the butter or margarine.  Add the onion and cook until tender but not brown.

2. Stir in the flour.  Add the water, tomato paste, green pepper, celery, parsley, salt, hot pepper sauce, ground red pepper and bay leaf.

3. Cook, uncovered, over medium-low heat about 30 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally.

4. Stir in the shrimp and heat through.  Remove the bay leaf.  Serve over the hot cooked rice.

Tips:

To remove the shells from fresh shrimp: Open the shell lengthwise down the body.  Remove the legs.  Hold the shrimp in one hand and carefully peel back the shell starting with the head end.  Leave the last section of the shell and tail intact.

Either cut the body portion of the shell off, leaving the tail shell in place, or gently pull on the tail portion of the shell to remove the entire shell.

To devein shrimp: Make a shallow slit with a sharp knife along the back of the shrimp.  Use the tip of the knife scrape out the black vein.

To cook raw, shelled shrimp: In a large saucepan, heat 6 cups water and 2 tablespoons salt to boiling.  Add the shelled shrimp.  Reduce the heat and simmer for 1 to 3 minutes or until the shrimp turns pink.  Drain.

Breaded fried okra makes a perfect accompaniment to this dish.