This is a recipe from my Mom's collection. I think that her version comes from a 1950's cook book from Charleston, SC entitled "Charleston Receipts". When in "chef mode", I don't really follow a recipe so here's my version of this classic New Orleans dish. There are hundreds of versions but they all contain the same basic ingredients: tomatoes, the "trinity" (onions, green peppers, celery), herbs, and garlic. Feel free to experiment!
Shrimp Creole a la Patti
Serves 6-8
4 Tablespoons olive oil or butter (or combination of 2 Tablespoons of each))
2 medium onions, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 28-oz cans crushed tomatoes
1 6-oz can tomato paste
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Pinch of salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1 teaspoon sugar (optional)
Basil, oregano, thyme or other herbs (optional)
Hot pepper sauce to taste (optional)
2 pounds medium cooked shrimp, shelled and deveined
4 cups hot cooked rice
Heat the oil & butter in a heavy pan. Add the onions, green pepper, celery and garlic, and sauté until soft & they begin to caramelize. Add crushed tomatoes to the pot along with the tomato paste. Bring to a boil; reduce the heat, and cook, partially covered, over low heat until thick, approximately 30-45 minutes. Taste and season with salt, pepper and optional sugar. A few minutes before serving, add the cooked shrimp just to reheat (do not overcook the shrimp!) Serve over rice.
Note that this sauce is also good on grilled fish or chicken.
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