Quick and easy, this popular New Orleans classic is the perfect weeknight dish.
It’s no secret that I am taking a lot of food/cooking inspiration from my travels. And when I am not travelling, I love to celebrate international and seasonal events by recreating popular local dishes linked to these events.

The carnival season is always a welcome moment to explore local food popular during this time of the year. And while carnival is evolving around sweets like no other event, those taking part in the festivities held in many countries around the world, from Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Brazil, and the U.S. will also need some hearty foods to refuel their engines and survive the crazy time.

While I usually do not take part in the local carnival festivities, there are some destinations I would not mind spending time during the main weeks of the season, usually the last two weeks in the runup to Shrove Tuesday or Mardi Gras how the final day of carnival is known in the U.S.

That said, today many will connect Mardi Gras mostly to New Orleans, where the whole carnival season starting on the 6th of January and running until Shrove Tuesday (or Fat Tuesday). New Orleans’ Mardi Gras is indeed famous all over the world, and I am convinced that visiting the city during the festivities is high on most people’s bucket list.

While I am currently not planning to visit the U.S. anytime soon – too many uncertainties there currently – Luisiana with its rich history melting French, African, and Native American cultures into its lively Creole and Cajun culture, and the resulting exciting local cuisine is a destination I can’t wait to explore.

In the meantime, this carnival season, I am diving into the delicious, flavourful bold food of New Orleans from the comfort of my home.

So, if you are planning your own carnival / Mardi Gras gathering with your friends, today I have a delicious, bold and flavourful, yet absolutely easy to prepare recipe for you that is a real crowd pleaser.

What is Creole Cuisine

Creole cuisine represents a fusion of French, Spanish, African, and Native American and Caribbean food.

Creole dishes are characterized by rich sauces, local herbs, and particularly using tomatoes and tomato-based sauces, and spicy seasonings. Locally caught seafood also plays an important role, and many of the dishes will be accompanied by rice.

An important thing to bear in mind, Creole and Cajun cuisine are often interchanged. But while both are part of the local heritage, they are quite distinctive in style. One of the main differences is that Creole cuisine features tomatoes and tomato-based sauces, while Cajun cuisine does not.

Some of the most popular Creole dishes include Gumbo, Jambalaya (which is similar to Spanish paella), Crawfish Boil, and Shrimp Creole.

How to make Shrimp Creole, the popular spicy seafood dish from New Orleans

Shrimp Creole is one of the highly popular dishes you will find in Luisiana, and particularly New Orleans. It consists of a spicy tomato sauce and shrimp, and is usually served with rice.

Don’t get nervous about the long list of ingredients. The dish is assembled much quicker than you might think and is easy to make.

By the way, the dish calls for onions, bell peppers, and celery, which are known as the ‘holy trinity’ in Creole cuisine. They represent a twist of the traditional French mirepoix, which is made with onions, carrots, and celery.

Serves 4

3 tablespoons butter
1 onion, finely chopped
1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
2 ribs celery, finely chopped
2 garlic gloves, minced
1 tablespoon ground paprika
1 tablespoon dried theme
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
2 bay leaves
350 ml chicken broth
400 g canned whole tomatoes, crushed
50 g tomato sauce
3 green onions, finely sliced
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Juice of ? lemon
600 g shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt, pepper

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, bell pepper, and celery and cook until they turn soft, for around five minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Stir in the garlic, paprika, thyme, oregano, and cayenne pepper. Continue to cook for about 1-2 minutes until fragrant.

Add chicken broth and bey leaves. Bring to boil then lower the heat and let simmer for about 8 minutes, slightly reducing the mixture.

Add tomatoes and tomato sauce and cook until the mixture is reduced by half, for about 8-10 minutes. Add 2/3 of the green onions and Worcestershire sauce. Continue to cook until thickened, for about 10 minutes, then take from the heat.

Remove the bay leaves and season with salt and pepper again. Stir in the lemon juice.

In the meantime, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add shrimp and cook for about 2 minutes by side until pink. Season with salt and pepper.

Add shrimps to the tomato mix and combine lightly. Garnish with the remining green onions.

Serve with rice.