Low Country Shrimp Rice Recipes

LOWCOUNTRY PERLOO

Steps:

• Peel all the shrimp and put the shells, and heads if you have them, into a pot with the bay leaves, onion, celery and carrot. Cover with 7 cups of water and bring to a simmer. Simmer gently for 30 minutes while you chop everything else for the perloo.
• As the stock is simmering, slowly fry the bacon in a large, heavy pot. When it is crispy, remove the bacon (eat a slice) and chop roughly. Set the bacon aside.
• Saute the 2 cups chopped onion, 2 cups chopped celery and the diced yellow bell pepper in the bacon fat until soft but not browned. Add the garlic and rice and cook, stirring often for 3 minutes, until the rice turns translucent.
• Add the white wine, tomatoes and chile pepper to the pot and stir well.
• Set up a fine-meshed strainer with a paper towel in it. Ladle two or three ladles of the shrimp stock through this strainer into the rice pot. Stir well. Cook, stirring often, until the liquid is absorbed. Repeat this process until the rice is tender.
• Add one more ladle of shrimp stock to the pot, along with the shrimp and the parsley. Mix to combine, cover the pot and turn the heat to its lowest setting. Cover for 5 minutes to let the shrimp cook, then mix in the bacon and black pepper and serve.

LOW COUNTRY SHRIMP CHOWDER

Steps:

• Heat the butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the scallion whites, celery and bell pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Add the flour and Old Bay Seasoning and cook, stirring, until the flour is lightly toasted, about 1 minute. Add the milk, 6 cups water and the rice. Bring to a rapid simmer, then reduce the heat to medium and cook until the rice is tender, about 15 minutes. Add the corn to the pot and cook 3 minutes. Stir in the shrimp and cook until they curl and turn opaque, about 3 more minutes. Season the chowder with salt and pepper and stir in the sherry. Ladle into bowls and top with the scallion greens.

LOW COUNTRY GUMBO

Steps:

• Prepare the vegetables. Remove sausage from the casings and crumble. Set aside.
• Season the diced chicken with 3-4 tablespoons of Creole Spice Mix, either homemade or a high-quality store-bought mix. Dredge the chicken in ½ cup all-purpose flour.
• In a large pot over medium-high heat, heat ½ cup of lard. When melted, add the andouille and slightly flatten to an even layer; brown on both sides, just cooking through. (Do not overstir, or meat will not sear.) Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon so oil remains in pan, and drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Set aside.Add the chicken to the hot pan. Allow the chicken to brown and cook through in two batches, being careful not to overstir, about 7 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside with the sausage.
• Roux: Turn the heat to low. Scrape food bits from the bottom of pan (also known as "fond") so they are loose in the melted fat. Add the remaining ½ cup lard and allow it to melt. Dust in the remaining ¾ cup flour in several small additions, whisking constantly. Simmer on low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon so roux does not stick, for 30-45 minutes, until the roux is the color of peanut butter.
• Raise the heat slightly. When the roux has just begun to bubble, add the onions and stir well to coat them. Then add the celery and bell pepper and cook for 5 minutes, stirring, to just soften. (The goal is to "stew," not sear.) Add the garlic. Slowly add the stock in several additions, stirring and scraping constantly to deglaze and mix well. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Add the bay leaves and the filé, and stir. Simmer for 20-30 minutes, until "nappe consistency"-thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
• Add the chicken and sausage pieces and simmer.
• Heat a dry cast-iron skillet. Toss okra lightly in oil, then grill in the hot pan, stirring occasionally, until seared and aromatic. Remove, cool slightly, and chop into ½-inch pieces. Add to the pot and stir.
• Adjust seasoning to taste with salt and pepper. Season with hot sauce, lemon, and some of the spice mix to taste. Serve with rice.
• Combine all the ingredients for the Creole Spice Mix in a bowl and mix well to combine. Set aside.

ONE PAN SHRIMP AND RICE RECIPE

Steps:

• Rinse the rice well and place it in a large bowl. Cover with water and let it soak for 15 to 20 minutes or until you can easily break one grain of rice. Drain well.
• In a large deep pan (with a lid), heat 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions, bell peppers, garlic, peas, and parsley. Season with kosher salt. Cook for 3 minutes or so, tossing regularly. Add coriander, Aleppo pepper, cumin, and paprika. Cook for another 2 to 3 minutes or so, tossing occasionally, until the vegetables have soften a bit.
• Add the rice (well drained) and season with a good pinch of kosher salt. Add water. Bring to a boil until the liquid has reduced by about 1/2 (you should be able to see the rice, liquid should be barely covering the top). Turn the heat to low. Cover and let the rice cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until fully cooked and not hard nor chewy.
• While the rice is cooking, pat the shrimp dry and toss with a bit of kosher salt.
• Uncover the pan and add the shrimp nestling it into the rice. Cover and cook for 3 to 5 minutes more or until the shrimp is pink and fully cooked.
• Garnish with fresh parsley and serve!

LOWCOUNTRY SHRIMP AND GRITS

Steps:

• Grits: Bring 4½ cups of water to a boil in a large saucepan over high heat. Whisk in the grits and salt, reduce heat to low, and cook at a gently simmer for 35 to 40 minutes or until the grits are thick, stirring occasionally. Stir more often as the grits thicken. Remove the pan from the heat, add the cheddar, parmesan, butter, pepper, and Tabasco, and stir until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Keep warm over very low heat.
• Shrimp: In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, cook the bacon for 6 minutes or until crisp, stirring occasionally. Transfer with a slotted spoon to drain on paper towels and leave the fat in the skillet. If there is less than 1½ tablespoons of bacon fat, make up the difference with peanut oil.
• Toss the shrimp with the flour until lightly coated, shaking off any excess. In the skillet with the reserved fat, cook the shrimp over medium-high heat for 1 minute or until they begin to turn pink. Add the mushrooms and bacon and cook for 1 minute. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds (do not let the garlic brown). Stir in the hot sauce, lemon juice, and scallions and remove from the heat. Divide the grits among 4 shallow bowls and top with the shrimp mixture. Garnish with additional scallions and serve at once.

LOW COUNTRY SHRIMP & RICE

Steps:

• 1. Fry Bacon until limp, but not totally done. 2. Remove Bacon & set aside. 3. Saute the Chopped Onions & Bell Peppers till tender. 4. Add the Shrimp, stir & cook till done. 5. Add the Seasoned Tomatoes and simmer for 1 minute. 6. Put Cooked Rice in Casserole Dish. 7. Add the Onions, Bell Peppers, Seasoned Tomatoes, and Shrimp to the Rice and Stir Well. 8. Stir in Cooked, crumbled Sausage to the Rice mixture. 10. Put limp Bacon on the top of the casserole. 11. Bake at 400 Degrees for approximtely 20 - 25 minutes ot until Bacon is done.