Recipe #98 - Quick Cajun Shrimp

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When my brother, Brian, came into town from Houston for Christmas this year, he brought ten pounds of fresh shrimp. We boiled most of them after Christmas and needed something to do with the rest.  

I've been wanting to try this Cajun Shrimp recipe my Aunt Jennifer made over the 4th of July. It was the inspiration for these three cajun recipes. 

Remove the shells, devein and rinse the shrimp. I butterflied mine, but that's optional. Sprinkle with the creole

Heat oil and butter in a skillet and fry the shrimp until cook cooked through on medium heat. About 5-7 minutes.

Simply. But yummy.

Rating: 8

Time: 25 minutes

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined

Vegetable oil

About 1/2 tablespoon butter 

Tony's Creole Seasoning, to taste

Recipe #89 - Shrimp & Grits (Paula Dean Style)

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My next door neighbors caught me cutting the lawn a few months back. They had cooked this recipe a few times before and couldn't bare the thought of me not having it in my blog!

Bring water to a boil. Add salt and pepper. Add grits and cook until water is absorbed, about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in butter and cheese. 

Rinse shrimp and pat dry. Fry the bacon in a large skillet until browned; drain well. In grease, add shrimp. Cook until shrimp turns pink. Add lemon juice, chopped bacon, parsley, scallions and garlic. Saute for 3 minutes. 

Spoon grits into a serving bowl. Add shrimp mixture and mix well. Serve immediately.

So it took me a few months to finally get around to cooking it, but well worth the wait! Though it'll probably take the next few months to work off all the butter, cheese and bacon! Hehe. It was very, very good. A little dry, but nothing a little more water wouldn't fix.

Rating: 7
Time: 40 minutes
Serves: 4
Ingredients: 
4 cups water
Salt and Pepper
1 cup stone-ground grits
2 tablespoons butter
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 pound shrimp peeled and deveined
6 slices bacon, chopped
4 teaspoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 cup thinly sliced scallions
1 large clove garlic, minced 

Recipe #54 - Jumbo Shrimp Stuffed with Cilantro and Chiles

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Prepare an outdoor grill with a medium-high fire. Without removing the shells, slit about 3/4 of the way through the shrimp down the ridged back and remove the vein that runs down the center. Rinse and pat the shrimp dry. 

Whisk thyme leaves, lime juice, 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and black pepper, to taste, in a shallow nonreactive bowl or dish. Lay the shrimp cut side down in the lime mixture and refrigerate for 30 minutes. 

In a food processor, pulse the garlic, jalapeno, scallions, remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt to make a coarse paste. Add the cilantro and pulse just enough to incorporate into the mixture. 

Spoon the mixture into the opening in the shrimp and close the shrimp. Grill the shrimp shell side down (to keep filling from falling out) for 3 minutes. Turn to the other shell side, cover, and grill another 2 minutes or until the shrimp turn pink and are slightly firm to the touch. Sprinkle with salt and serve. 

Now I couldn't find any shrimp in the shell, but I went ahead with the recipe with shrimp without the shell anyways. Below is a "Cook's Note" that was posted in the recipe. I can definitely understand why having the shell is so important. I didn't think that the shrimp retained as much flavor as it could have in the shell. My mother thought to was this recipe was at least a 9, but I disagree. I think that I could have made it better.  
"Cook's Note: Shrimp cooked in the shells are more intensely flavorful. Leaving the shells on provides a buffer against overcooking, a misfortune many shrimp suffer. Shrimp, even these jumbos, continue to cook once removed from the grill. It's always best to cook them just until opaque and let the delicate shellfish finish cooking off the heat. 

Jumbo shrimp in the shell can be a knife and fork sort of deal unless you're outside and it's summer and you are feeling very relaxed. Serve these with lots of napkins if your crowd is the peel-and-eat type." - Food Network Kitchens

Rating: 5 
Time: 45 minutes
Serves: 6-8
Ingredients:
16 (ish) jumbo shrimp, in the shell (about 1 1/4 pounds)
3 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves stripped
Juice of 2 limes (about 1/4 cup)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus additional for seasoning
Freshly ground black pepper
2 clove garlic, chopped
1/2 large jalapeno, with seeds
2 scallions (white and green parts)
1 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro leaves