Scallop And Shrimp Creole
Serves: 2
Weldon Lockman
1 January 1970
Based on User reviews:
49
Spice
53
Sweetness
55
Sourness
42
mins
Prep time (avg)
5.2
Difficulty
Ingredients:
570 g
Bay Scallops (sea or)3 tbsps
Bacon Fat3 tsp
Thyme Leaves (dried)1 tsp
Oregano Leaves (dried)1
Bay Leaf1 tsp
Cayenne2 tsps
FlourDirections:
1
To prepare: Peel the shrimp and save the shells for shrimp oil or shrimp broth or discard them
2
Pick up a shrimp and make a shallow slit down the middle of the length of the back to expose the black intestine
3
Slit all the shrimp and lift out the black intestine with the point of your paring knife, or flush it out under cold running water
4
If using defrosted cleaned shrimp, skip this step
5
Either way, dry the shrimp well with paper towels and set them aside
6
Clean the sea scallops by peeling and discarding the little strip of muscle that is attached to one side
7
(If your scallops are somewhat old the muscle strip may not be there
8
) Place the scallops in a colander and wash them well under cold running water — keep an eye open for specks of dark sand
9
Drain the scallops well and roll them in paper towels to dry them thoroughly
10
If the scallops are very large, cut them into 1/2" to 3/4" pieces (it's the thickness that determines the cooking time, not how wide they are)
11
If you're using bay scallops, don't remove the tiny strip of muscle, it's tender
12
Either way, set the scallops aside while you're preparing the sauce
13
Put the bacon fat or vegetable oil into a skillet or stew-type pot that's wide and deep enough to hold all the seafood in about 2 layers with about 2 cups of sauce
14
Place the skillet over medium-high heat and add the onion, peppers, and celery
15
Cook the vegetables, adjusting the heat if necessary and stirring frequently, until they have become slightly wilted and a little brown, about 5 minutes
16
When the vegetables are ready, turn the heat to low and stir in the garlic, thyme, oregano, bay leaf and cayenne, cooking for about 30 seconds
17
Add the flour and continue to stir for about 1 minute more to cook away its raw taste
18
Add the tomatoes and their juice, and simmer the sauce, covered, over very low heat, about 10 minutes, or until the vegetables are almost tender and it's very thick
19
Stir the sauce once or twice during this period
20
Season it generously with salt, pepper, and Tabasco, and set it aside
21
The sauce can be made 3 or 4 days in advance and refrigerated, but be sure to heat it through before continuing with the recipe
22
In a separate bowl, mix the scallops and shrimp together and season them well with salt and pepper
23
(If you're using bay scallops that are smaller than 1/2" in width, don't mix them with the shrimp at this point — see Note
24
) Remove about one half of the sauce to a bowl, spreading the remaining sauce evenly over the bottom of the skillet or pot
25
Distribute the seafood evenly over the sauce in the skillet and spread the reserved sauce over the top of the seafood — it won't completely cover
26
Place the skillet over medium-high heat and, without stirring, heat the mixture until you see 3 or 4 bubbles at the surface
27
Reduce the heat to very low, tightly cover the skillet, and gently simmer the mixture until the shrimp are white throughout and the scallops are slightly translucent in the center, 8 to 12 minutes, cutting one of each to check, if you're unsure
28
(If you prefer, you can bake the Creole in a preheated 325°F oven once the bubbles have come to the surface
29
) The Creole will be much thinner now from the shellfish juices
30
Taste it for seasoning and adjust it with salt, a generous amount of pepper, and additional Tabasco, if you like
31
Peel the shrimp and save the shells for shrimp oil or shrimp broth or discard them
32
Pick up a shrimp and make a shallow slit down the middle of the length of the back to expose the black intestine
33
Slit all the shrimp and lift out the black intestine with the point of your paring knife, or flush it out under cold running water
34
If using defrosted cleaned shrimp, skip this step
35
Either way, dry the shrimp well with paper towels and set them aside
36
Clean the sea scallops by peeling and discarding the little strip of muscle that is attached to one side
37
(If your scallops are somewhat old the muscle strip may not be there
38
) Place the scallops in a colander and wash them well under cold running water — keep an eye open for specks of dark sand
39
Drain the scallops well and roll them in paper towels to dry them thoroughly
40
If the scallops are very large, cut them into 1/2" to 3/4" pieces (it's the thickness that determines the cooking time, not how wide they are)
41
If you're using bay scallops, don't remove the tiny strip of muscle, it's tender
42
Either way, set the scallops aside while you're preparing the sauce
43
Put the bacon fat or vegetable oil into a skillet or stew-type pot that's wide and deep enough to hold all the seafood in about 2 layers with about 2 cups of sauce
44
Place the skillet over medium-high heat and add the onion, peppers, and celery
45
Cook the vegetables, adjusting the heat if necessary and stirring frequently, until they have become slightly wilted and a little brown, about 5 minutes
46
When the vegetables are ready, turn the heat to low and stir in the garlic, thyme, oregano, bay leaf and cayenne, cooking for about 30 seconds
47
Add the flour and continue to stir for about 1 minute more to cook away its raw taste
48
Add the tomatoes and their juice, and simmer the sauce, covered, over very low heat, about 10 minutes, or until the vegetables are almost tender and it's very thick
49
Stir the sauce once or twice during this period
50
Season it generously with salt, pepper, and Tabasco, and set it aside
51
The sauce can be made 3 or 4 days in advance and refrigerated, but be sure to heat it through before continuing with the recipe
52
In a separate bowl, mix the scallops and shrimp together and season them well with salt and pepper
53
(If you're using bay scallops that are smaller than 1/2" in width, don't mix them with the shrimp at this point — see Note
54
) Remove about one half of the sauce to a bowl, spreading the remaining sauce evenly over the bottom of the skillet or pot
55
Distribute the seafood evenly over the sauce in the skillet and spread the reserved sauce over the top of the seafood — it won't completely cover
56
Place the skillet over medium-high heat and, without stirring, heat the mixture until you see 3 or 4 bubbles at the surface
57
Reduce the heat to very low, tightly cover the skillet, and gently simmer the mixture until the shrimp are white throughout and the scallops are slightly translucent in the center, 8 to 12 minutes, cutting one of each to check, if you're unsure
58
(If you prefer, you can bake the Creole in a preheated 325°F oven once the bubbles have come to the surface
59
) The Creole will be much thinner now from the shellfish juices
60
Taste it for seasoning and adjust it with salt, a generous amount of pepper, and additional Tabasco, if you like
61
To serve: Ladle the Creole into warm soup plates or bowls, discarding the bay leaf
62
Sprinkle each serving with chopped parsley and serve right away
63
<a name="note">Note:</a> If you've reserved bay scallops, add them approximately halfway through the cooking (depending on their size), pressing them into the simmering mixture as best as possible
64
Cover the skillet again and finish cooking
65
Ladle the Creole into warm soup plates or bowls, discarding the bay leaf
66
Sprinkle each serving with chopped parsley and serve right away
67
<a name="note">Note:</a> If you've reserved bay scallops, add them approximately halfway through the cooking (depending on their size), pressing them into the simmering mixture as best as possible
68
Cover the skillet again and finish cooking