Recipe of the week: A Louisiana native’s ‘overstuffed’ shrimp

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

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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.