When I was a kid, it was always a big night when dad would make shrimp creole. Growing up in Korea, it felt like a rare magical dinner you couldn’t get anywhere for thousands and thousands of miles unless you were in dad’s kitchen.
We didn’t have access to the PX grocery store on the US Army base of Yongsan, so we did all our shopping at the local Korean grocery stores in Yunhi Dong. Back in the ’80’s, the Korean stores had most of what was available back in the States but not all, and many of the substitutes had at least a slight Korean twist to them. I wasn’t a cook back then, but I could taste the difference and it wasn’t always easy to make a typical American dish taste legit with what was available to us at those markets. Dad’s New Orleans blood in him must have been ragin’ like a Cajun back then though, and he could whip up a pot of shrimp creole that brought you straight back to the bayou no matter how far away from it you were.
He wasn’t always that astute, however, when he did the shopping in those Korean markets. One of the markets we called the Greeny Place cuz it was, well, green. It later moved and was no longer green, but the name stuck. It had just a couple shelves at the end of an aisle where they had whatever American goods had been acquired for the week through the black market. Dad spied a rare American gem sitting on one of the shelves – Kraft parmesan cheese for 1000 won/canister. That was about $1.25, and a real steal at the time considering how hard it was for us to get American stuff back then. So he grabbed 5 of them to stock up and went to the check out counter where they were rung up at the price he should have seen if he had been paying better attention: 10,000 won. Too embarrassed to put them back, dad came home with $62 worth of parmesan cheese that day.
I think we still have some.
Anyway, he can still whip up a mean shrimp creole! I believe this recipe to be almost identical to his and I’ve been using it ever since I left home for college. And with a few tweaks (omit the celery, shrimp, and hot sauce) it makes a great spaghetti sauce too. Just be sure to have at least $62 worth of parmesan cheese as a topping if you do……..
As for the hot sauce, it’s up to you. Anything goes! If you want to be traditional, use Tabasco since it’s straight outta Louisiana. I usually do, but a friend of mine owns a hot sauce company here in NC called Mile High, so I’ve been using it lately. I like heat, so I added about 1.5 tbsp but you do you!
Serves 4
Preparation Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1.5 hours
INGREDIENTS:
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 4 tbsp flour
- 1 cup celery, chopped
- 1 onion, chopped
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 cup dry white wine
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 16 oz can of tomato sauce
- 25 oz your favorite spaghetti or marinara sauce
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp sugar
- salt and pepper to taste
- your favorite hot sauce, to taste
- l lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
- a small handful of parsley, finely chopped
RECIPE:
Start by making your roux. Combine the oil and flour in a large stock pot over medium heat. As the slurry heats, mix continuously with a wooden spoon. You may have to add flour or oil depending on how thick your roux is and to keep it from burning. Don’t step away from a roux. This is not the time to check Instagram! Keep stirring over heat as it becomes darker and darker, without burning. If it starts to burn, throw it out and try again, a little slower. In a few minutes it should turn a nice dark chocolate brown.
When you have a nice dark roux add the celery, onion, and garlic. Mix together and let cook on medium high until the onions are tender. Add the wine and stir to combine for 2 minutes, breaking up any bits stuck to the pan.
Stir in the next 8 ingredients and turn the temperature down to a simmer. Cover the pot and simmer for about an hour, stirring, tasting, and adjusting as necessary. After 30 minutes, add in the hot sauce to taste. I add about a tablespoon and a half of Mile High Hot Sauce or Tabasco.
After an hour, add the shrimp, put the cover back on and cook until the shrimp is done. Serve over rice and top with chopped parsley.
