One winter family holiday in the Caribbean, my wonderful husband, Steve, went on a shrimp Creole binge, ordering it for dinner every night. I knew that he was doing it to annoy my mother and that if she would quit snarking “why are you ordering that again”, he would move on. But, like all old mother-in-law jokes, she kept asking and he kept ordering. Thereafter he never ate it again – until laughing memories of that winter holiday propelled him to binge once again. 

In memory of my mom, Steve asked me to come up with a recipe. Having a freezer full of frozen peppers on hand was a perfect opportunity to do so. Here is what I came up with and what will forever be known as Steve’s Every Night Shrimp Creole.

Just because I had a yen for them, we decided to serve ours on creamy grits. Any starch can be used, but rice would be a classic. 

Steve’s Every Night Shrimp Creole

Serves 4

2 tablespoons olive oil

½ cup diced onions

½ cup finely diced red bell pepper

½ cup finely diced green bell pepper

½ sliced button mushrooms

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 bay leaf

½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

½ teaspoon dried thyme

¼ teaspoon dried basil

1 tablespoon tomato paste

2 cups chopped canned tomatoes

1 cup bottled clam juice

1 pound cleaned shrimp

Salt and pepper to taste

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley 

Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the onions, bell peppers, and garlic and sauté for about 4 minutes or until the aromatics are beginning to soften. 

Stir in the bay leaf, red pepper flakes, thyme, and basil and continue to sauté for another 5 minutes or until the vegetables begin to color. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for a minute or so. Add the tomatoes and clam juice and bring to a simmer. Simmer for about 15 minutes or until the flavors are well-blended.

Add the shrimp and return to the simmer. Cook for about 3 minutes or until the shrimp is cooked through. 

Remove from the heat, stir in the parsley, and serve.