Creole Shrimp Stew With Fennel Recipes

Steps:

• 1. Cook a pot of white rice, drain, rinse once with cold water to stop cooking process and set aside.
• 2. In large saucepan or medium stockpot, over medium heat, make a medium brown roux with 2 T. butter & flour, stirring constantly. (See Note below) ***If you can find Roux in a jar at the grocery store, use that to make this quick and easy.***
• 3. Once roux reaches color slightly darker than peanut butter, reduce heat to medium low and add onion, green onion, garlic, bell pepper, celery, parsley to the roux and stir very frequently until vegetables are tender. I like to keep mine in the roux mixture for 15-20 minutes. Vegetables will start to blend with roux to make a paste - that's when it's ready for the next step.
• 4. Add tomato paste and sauce; stir to blend in with seasoning mixture and reduce heat to lowest setting. Let flavors blend, stirring frequently for 10 minutes.
• 5. Begin adding stock as needed, stirring constantly to keep smooth. As it heats up and thickens add more stock to reach a medium soup consistency. Simmer for at least 20 minutes, but the longer you simmer it, the better it gets. Keep heat on low and stir frequently. If sauce starts to get too thick add a little stock or water. Add creole seasoning and taste - add salt, pepper & adjust seasonings as needed.
• 6. Add the raw shrimp and cook for 10 minutes until shrimp are completely cooked and start to curl up. If using pre-cooked crawfish or lump crabmeat add that about 5 minutes before you're ready to eat and heat through. Taste again and adjust seasonings because the shrimp will absorb some of the salt from the sauce. Serve in deep bowl over white rice and french bread. Garnish with chopped fresh basil if desired.
• 7. *NOTE: You can make a roux in a 4 cup glass measuring cup in the microwave. Combine butter and flour, and nuke on high at 30 second intervals, stirring after each. Cook until desired color. I like to stop my roux at the peanut butter color stage. *TIP: DON'T throw away those shrimp heads and peels. Freeze them in a little water and save until you have enough to make shrimp stock.
• 8. *OPTIONS: You can substitute shrimp with crawfish tails, lump crabmeat and/or scallops

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large (12-inch) saute pan over medium heat. Add the fennel and saute for 5 minutes, until tender but not browned. Turn the heat to medium-low, add the garlic and red pepper flakes, and cook at a very low sizzle for 2 to 3 minutes, until the garlic just begins to color.
• Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels, add them to the pan, and toss together with the fennel and olive oil. Spread the shrimp in one layer and cook over medium heat for 2 minutes on one side. Turn the shrimp and cook for 2 minutes on the other side, until they¿re pink and just cooked through.
• Off the heat, sprinkle with the parsley, 1 tablespoon of chopped fennel fronds, the Pernod (if using), the fleur de sel, and black pepper and serve it with bread to soak up all the pan juices.

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or stockpot, add the onions, potatoes, fennel, salt, and pepper, and saute over medium-low heat for 15 minutes, until the onions begin to brown. Add the wine and scrape up the brown bits with a wooden spoon. Add the tomatoes with their juices, stock, garlic, and saffron to the pot, bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. Add the shrimp, fish, and mussels, bring to a boil, then lower the heat, cover, and cook for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow the pot to sit covered for another 5 minutes. The fish and shrimp should be cooked and the mussels opened. Discard any mussels that don't open. Stir in the Pernod, orange zest, and salt, to taste. Serve ladled over 1 or 2 slices of toasted baguette.;
• Warm the oil in the pan over medium heat. Add the shrimp shells, onions, carrots, and celery over medium heat for 15 minutes, until lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook 2 more minutes. Add 1 1¿2 quarts of water, the white wine, tomato paste, salt, pepper, and thyme. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 1 hour. Strain through a sieve, pressing the solids. You should have approximately 1 quart of stock. If not, you can make up the difference with water or white wine.

Steps:

• Cook bacon in large, heavy pan over medium heat until fat escapes and bacon is crisp.
• Blend in flour and whisk until it burns a peanut brown color.
• Add celery, onion, green pepper and green onions and cook, stirring until vegetables soften, about 10 minutes.
• Blend in tomato paste, seafood stock, water, lemon juice, sugar and spices to taste.
• Stir to blend mixture into a roux.
• Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer very slowly, stirring frequently, until sauce thickens, about 10 minutes.
• Add uncooked, shelled, deveined shrimp and parsley and continue to cook over low heat, just until shrimp turn pink. taste and adjust seasonings.
• Serve hot over hot rice. 4 servings.

Steps:

• Preheat a wood-burning or regular oven to 500 degrees. (If using a regular oven, set rack in lowest position and line with a pizza stone or metal baking sheet.)
• In a large ovenproof braiser pan or straight-sided skillet, combine oil, butter, chopped fennel, shallots, garlic, and 1 teaspoon salt. Roast (on pizza stone, if using) until vegetables sizzle and turn golden in places, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in paprika, cumin, and coriander; roast 1 minute more. Add vermouth; roast until reduced slightly, about 2 minutes. Add clam stock and clams; cover and roast until clams open, about 5 minutes.
• Transfer clams to a bowl, discarding any unopened ones; cover to keep warm. Gently stir fish, shrimp, and beans into pan; continue roasting, stirring once, until fish is just cooked through and shrimp are opaque, about 5 minutes more. Remove from oven. Stir in lemon juice, return clams to pan, sprinkle with parsley and fennel fronds, and serve.

Steps:

• Combine mussels, 1 1/4 cups onions, wine, and 8 parsley sprigs in large pot; bring to boil. Cover and cook until mussels open, shaking pot often, about 5 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer mussels to large bowl to cool (discard any mussels that do not open). Strain cooking liquid into large measuring cup; discard vegetables in strainer. Add enough water to cooking liquid to measure 2 cups total. Remove mussels from shells if desired.
• Melt butter in same large pot over medium heat. Add remaining 1 1/4 cups onions, leeks, and fennel and sauté until leeks are soft, stirring frequently, about 7 minutes. Add reserved mussel cooking liquid, 4 parsley sprigs, clam juice, thyme sprigs, and bay leaves. Simmer uncovered until vegetables are tender and liquid has reduced by 1/3, about 25 minutes. Add halibut and scallops to broth and simmer until just opaque in center, about 4 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer halibut and scallops to bowl. Discard parsley sprigs, thyme sprigs, and bay leaves.
• Whisk crème fraîche and egg yolks in medium bowl to blend. Whisk in 1/2 cup hot cooking liquid from pot. Gradually stir yolk mixture into stew. Cook over medium heat until liquid thickens slightly, stirring constantly, about 5 minutes (do not allow mixture to boil). Return halibut, scallops, and mussels to pan. Cook until halibut is heated through, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup chopped parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Serve in warmed shallow bowls.
• *Crème fraîche is sold at some supermarkets. If unavailable, heat 1 cup whipping cream to lukewarm (85°F). Remove from heat and mix in 2 tablespoons buttermilk. Cover and let stand in warm, draft-free area until slightly thickened, 24 to 48 hours, depending on temperature of room. Refrigerate until ready to use.