Sunday, November 9, 2008

Cajun Shrimp Alredo

I first made this for Erline and Theresa's apartment last year around Halloween. That was when Aaron and I got kicked out of our old apartment, but that's a long story I'd rather not get into here. Anyway, ever since then I have cooked this for almost every special occasion and my friends just love it. This is definitely one of my most favorite dishes to make of all time.

Courtesy of Emeril Lagasse


Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 6 tablespoons Essence (listed below), plus more for garnish 
  • 2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 10 ounces andouille sausage, chopped
  • 1/2 medium onion, minced
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
  • 5 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 shakes Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 pound linguine
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon hot chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, sliced
  • 1 1/2 cups grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
  • Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

Essence (Creole Seasoning)

  • 2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
  • 2 tablespoons salt
  • 2 tablespoons garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon onion powder
  • 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 1 tablespoon dried thyme

Directions

Place the shrimp and 3 tablespoons Essence in a large resealable plastic bag and shake. Place the bag in the refrigerator while you prepare the sauce.

Heat a deep 3-quart skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and the andouille sausage. Saute sausage for 2 minutes, stirring often. Add onions and saute for 2 minutes. Add crushed red pepper flakes and garlic and cook 1 minute. Add Worcestershire sauce.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta in boiling salted water according to package instructions.

To the skillet, add cream, milk, remaining Essence, black pepper, chili powder, and salt. Stir to a consistent color. Add butter and stir until melted. Stir in cheese until melted. Lower heat to a simmer.
Heat the remaining olive oil in another large skillet over high heat and add the shrimp. Saute shrimp for 1 to 2 minutes per side or until they just start to turn pink. Add the shrimp and cooked, drained pasta to the first skillet. Stir to combine and blend flavors, about 1 minute.

Serve in a large pasta bowl. Sprinkle with parsley and Essence for garnish.

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The first time I made this, we forgot to buy heavy whipping cream, as you can see in the first picture because it lacks that creaminess that this dish needs. In fact, I didn't even know what the hell heavy whipping cream was up until I cooked this. Thank goodness I found out what it was because I've used it so many times in my cooking. Anyway, we had to use a cream-substitute and all we had was sour cream. Thankfully, it didn't come out that bad. It wasn't that creamy, but it was still delicious. This dish definitely has a huge kick to it, but I love the fire. Coupled with the shrimp and the andouille sausage, this dish is to die for. It is really rich (and definitely does not belong in the South Beach diet, or any kind of diet for that matter), but if you're looking for a really savory meal with fire, this is it.

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