In 2018, Food & Wine named this recipe one of our 40 best: Before he was a television food mega-star, Emeril Lagasse made a name for himself as the chef at the legendary Commander’s Palace in New Orleans, arguably the city’s best restaurant at the time.

Lagasse was an expert of “haute Creole” cooking, a complex blend of Creole and Cajun with signature dishes such as baked redfish en papillote and bread pudding soufflé. (The soufflé is still on the Commander’s Palace menu today.) On a visit to New York City in 1984, Lagasse visited the Food & Wine test kitchen and shared several recipes, including his Shrimp Creole.

The spicy Creole sauce has layers of flavor built on a foundation of the Cajun flavor trinity — onion, celery, and green bell pepper — mixed with garlic and sautéed in butter until tender. The Creole sauce can be made through step 4 and chilled for up to 4 days, or can be frozen for up to a month. This recipe makes more Creole seasoning than you’ll need; save the remainder in an air-tight container.

Ingredients

  • ⅓ cup plus 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
  • ⅓ cup plus 1 teaspoon hot paprika, divided
  • ¼ cup freshly ground black pepper
  • ¼ cup garlic powder
  • 3 tablespoons onion powder or dried minced onion
  • 2 tablespoons plus 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, divided
  • 2 tablespoons dried thyme
  • 2 tablespoons dried oregano
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
  • 1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
  • 2 celery stalks, chopped
  • 5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 1 ¼ cups chicken stock or canned chicken broth
  • 4 fresh bay leaves
  • 2 cups coarsely chopped tomatoes
  • 3 scallions, chopped
  • 1 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon Louisiana-style hot sauce (such as Crystal)
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 ½ pounds peeled and deveined raw medium shrimp

Directions

  1. Add 1/3 cup kosher salt, 1/3 cup hot paprika, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, 2 tablespoons cayenne pepper, thyme and oregano to a bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside Creole seasoning.

  2. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high. Add onion, bell pepper, celery, and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened but not browned, 5 to 7 minutes.

  3. Add chicken stock, 2 teaspoons Creole seasoning, remaining 1 teaspoon hot paprika, remaining 1/8 teaspoon cayenne, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil over high; reduce heat to medium, and simmer until slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes.

  4. Stir in scallions, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt; cook, stirring often, until thick but still a little saucy, about 10 minutes. Set aside Creole sauce.

  5. Heat oil in a separate large skillet over medium-high; swirl to coat. Add shrimp; sprinkle with 2 teaspoons Creole seasoning (or to taste), and cook, stirring often, until slightly pink, about 1 minute.

  6. Add Creole sauce to shrimp; cook, stirring, until shrimp are pink, cooked through, and coated in sauce, 3 to 4 minutes