A Love Affair With Southern Cooking_ Recipes and Recollections - Jean Anderson [11]
Rémoulade Sauce
½ cup Creole mustard
¼ cup vegetable oil 1
½ tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon finely minced scallion
1 tablespoon finely diced celery
1 tablespoon finely diced green bell pepper
1 tablespoon finely chopped Italian parsley
1½ teaspoons sweet paprika
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
½ teaspoon hot red pepper sauce
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon white pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground hot red pepper (cayenne)
Shrimp
2 quarts water mixed with 1 teaspoon salt
6 jumbo shrimp, shelled and deveined
1 recipe Fried Green Tomatoes
1. For the rémoulade sauce: Whisk all ingredients together in a small nonreactive bowl until creamy; cover and refrigerate overnight.
2. When ready to prepare the shrimp, bring the salted water to a boil in a large heavy saucepan over moderate heat. Add the shrimp, and simmer uncovered for 4 to 5 minutes or just until pink. Drain well and reserve while you prepare the fried green tomatoes as the recipe directs.
3. To serve, divide the fried green tomatoes among six heated small plates, each time fanning them into a circle. Center a shrimp on each circle of tomatoes and top with about 1 tablespoon of the sauce.
SHRIMP PASTE
MAKES ABOUT 3 CUPS
Called “potted shrimp” in England, this old-fashioned spread has been popular down south from Colonial times onward. No surprise here; America’s finest shrimp come from warm southern waters, especially those lapping the Gulf Coast. In days past, this was a slow, tedious recipe—the shrimp had to be pounded to a paste in a mortar and pestle—but today’s food processors make short shrift of that. How do you serve shrimp paste? Spread on cocktail melbas or stuffed into bite-size chunks of celery or hollowed-out cherry tomatoes. At fancy southern parties, I’ve even seen it mounded into snow peas or sugar snaps. Note: Because of the saltiness of the anchovy paste and shrimp, this recipe is not likely to need salt. But taste before serving.
1 pound shelled and deveined cooked shrimp, halved if large
2 medium scallions, trimmed and cut into 1-inch chunks (white part only)
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons anchovy paste
¼ to ½ teaspoon hot red pepper sauce (depending on how hot you like things)
¼ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
½ cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature
1. Pulse the shrimp and scallions in a food processor until finely chopped.
2. Add all remaining ingredients and churn for 30 to 60 seconds or until smooth, scraping the work bowl at half-time. Taste for salt and add, if needed.
3. Pack the shrimp paste into a small bowl, cover with plastic food wrap, and refrigerate for several hours before serving.
APPETIZER SALAD OF FRIED OKRA AND CRAWFISH WITH BASIL VINAIGRETTE
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
Here’s another amazing “starter” that I enjoyed on a swing through “Little-Known Louisiana” several years ago while on assignment for Gourmet. Proof that Louisiana’s best chefs aren’t all in New Orleans, it was the specialty of Catahoula’s, a country grocery-turned-restaurant in the historic town of Grand Coteau barely fifteen minutes north of Lafayette. Owner-photographer John Slaughter told me that he’d named the restaurant for the spotted, blue-eyed hound that is the state dog of Louisiana, and his portraits of them line the restaurant walls. At the time of my visit, Chef Daniel Landry was manning the Catahoula’s kitchen and creating so many inspired dishes that I returned to the restaurant more than once. Catahoula’s is still there but Landry, alas, has moved on. Note: Landry smoked fresh sweet corn for this appetizer salad, but grilled corn works equally well. All you need to do is shuck the ears, set them 4 inches from glowing coals, and grill for about 20 minutes, turning often. Cool