Famous Louisiana Chef John Folse is a man with a deep, warm voice. And when he speaks about Louisiana food, there is no doubt where his heart is.
“Eating in Louisiana is a faith ; it isn’t virtually nutrition,” Chef Folse announces. “It’s an in-gathering; it’s celebratory; it’s a prayer of thanks for all we’ve been in possession of from the swamp.”
John Folse grew up just east of the Atchafalaya Swamp and lost his mother as a young boy. His pa raised six boys and two girls as a single parent. One of the things Mr. Folse felt he wanted to teach his kids was to be good cooks.
And their first lesson was that only the latest foods yield their true flavours. “He really taught us to refuse anything less than great taste,” Cook says.
To serve the hottest foods, you want to know what is in season. “When it’s brown shrimp season, you eat brown shrimp. When it’s white shrimp season, you eat white shrimp. When it’s strawberry season, you eat strawberries,” Chef chuckles.
Locals call brown shrimp season Bonne Crevette-translation, good shrimp! The season starts in May and runs until fall. Even during Bonne Crevette, you need to know how to select the very best quality.
Well-taught cooks only purchase entire, in-shell, raw shrimp when they are shown on a thick bed of fresh ice-not melting-under a cover. The shrimp meats must be firm to the touch, not soft. The shells must be translucent and moist, not dull or dry.
Learning to capture the legendary taste of brown shrimp also means learning a sense of timing. “A lot of folks are worried they may undercook shrimp,” Cook claims, “but the real crime would be to overcook it and boil out all the flavor and texture.”
Follow these tips and your shrimp are certain to yield their true Louisiana flavours.
So, celebrate Bonne Crevette with Chef Folse’s Shrimp Scampi. “Try this dish. It’s an easy, traditional shrimp recipe. And it is one of my favorites.”
Chef explains that though scampi is a term used elsewhere to describe a species of shrimp, in America it refers to an Italian dish. This straightforward recipe is impressive when served over pasta, fish or chicken.
For an excellent wine pairing, enjoy Shrimp Scampi with a tumbler of wonderful Alice White Chardonnay.
Chef John Folse’s Shrimp Scampi
11/2 pounds (20-25 count) Louisiana shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 cup flour
Salt & cracked black pepper to taste
Tabasco Pepper Sauce to taste
1/2 cup olive oil
6 cloves garlic, sliced
1/4 cup shallots, chopped
2 tbsp fresh basil
2 tbsp fresh oregano
1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup parsley, minced
1/2 cup dry white wine
In a bowl, mix flour, salt and peppers. Dust shrimp lightly in seasoned flour and set aside. In a giant saut pan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic, sauté 1-2 mins or until edges turn golden. Blend in shrimp, shallots, basil and oregano. Employing a slotted spoon, turn shrimp often till pink and curled. Add mushrooms and parsley, then deglaze with white wine. Serves 4.
For more easy to make recipes, visit cooking101.org and also read about shrimp fried rice.
Tags: shrimp, shrimp recipe, shrimp scampi
