Melissa Martin’s recipe for shrimp stew from her celebrated cookbook, “Mosquito Supper Club: Cajun Recipes from a Disappearing Bayou,” is as authentic as it gets. This cookbook reads and draws you in like a good book. Melissa Martin beautifully describes the traditions, history, and customs of Cajun cuisine and culture with her artful storytelling and sensual images of life on the bayou.
There are endless variations of shrimp stew in Cajun cooking. In the Mosquito Supper Club cookbook, the recipe for the shrimp stew is a traditional interpretation. To maximize the flavor of the shrimp stew, I strongly recommend that you prepare a homemade shrimp stock before beginning. This recipe calls for 4 pounds of shrimp. It is easy to peel the shrimp the day before, reserve the shells, and make a flavorful stock with onions, celery, garlic and herbs. Using homemade shrimp stock will give the stew a depth and complexity that will have you and your guests wondering and remarking how you could have ever achieved these most incredible flavors. It’s OK to share your secrets!
The rest of the recipe follows a basic sequence of making a rue, adding vegetables and stock, reducing the stock and then adding shrimp . Let’s start with the rue. A rue is generally equal parts of oil and flour cooked to a beautiful toasted brown color, After browning the flour in the oil, add the chopped vegetables. Cook the chopped vegetables until they are wilted and tender. Ms. Martin recommends adding the shrimp and the stock at this point. I defer to the expert!
However, I typically take a different approach. In the recipe below you will notice that I give you the option of following my recommendation to add the stock, reduce it and then add the shrimp. I find that if the shrimp are added to the stew too early that they will overcook. Your choice.
Have fun with your cooking. Don’t be afraid to experiment and let me know if you find a new solution or techniques that can be applied to these recipes. Enjoy!
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