John Besh grew up in Louisiana bayou country, and later traveled throughout the U.S. and Europe. After studying at the Culinary Institute of America, he led a squad of Marines in combat during the first Iraq war. In 1999, Food & Wine named Besh one of the “Top 10 Best New Chefs in America.” His restaurants include August, Lüke, and Besh Steak in New Orleans, as well as La Provence in Lacombe, La.
In My New Orleans: The Cookbook (Andrews McMeel), Besh provides both a culinary history of the city and a treasury of recipes that preserve its traditions and ingredients. “You’ll end up with a lot of stuffing,” he warns anyone about to make his version of jumbo stuffed shrimp. But “overstuffing” is what the recipe is all about. Also, the olive oil–drenched bread crumbs should “almost melt into a crust.”
Recipe of the week
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Jumbo Stuffed Shrimp
2 tbsp butter
2 shallots, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 stalk celery, minced
2 tbsp flour
½ lb medium Louisiana or wild American shrimp, peeled and chopped
½ lb crabmeat, picked over
1 green onion, chopped
½ cup shrimp stock (or seafood stock)
½ cup fresh bread crumbs
1 tsp sambal chili paste
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
½ cup dried bread crumbs
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1⁄3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Leaves from 1 sprig fresh thyme
18 jumbo Louisiana or wild American shrimp, peeled, heads and tails left on
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Melt butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallots, garlic, and celery, and cook, stirring often, until vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes.
Sprinkle flour into the skillet and stir until mixed into the vegetables. Add chopped medium shrimp, crabmeat, and green onions. Slowly add shrimp stock, stirring until sauce thickens; remove from heat. Add fresh bread crumbs and chili paste; season with salt and pepper. Set aside. Mix together dried bread crumbs, Parmesan, olive oil, and thyme in a small bowl.
Using a paring knife, butterfly the jumbo shrimp by making a deep incision through the shell and down the back of each shrimp. Remove the vein, taking care to keep the heads and tails intact. Season with salt and pepper and place back side up on a cookie sheet. Generously stuff each jumbo shrimp with the shrimp mixture, and top with bread crumbs. Bake until golden, 12–15 minutes. Serves 6.
