Famous Louisiana Cook John Folse is a deep, warm voice. And when he speaks about Louisiana food, there’s no doubt where his heart is.
“Eating in Louisiana is a faith ; it’s not virtually nutrition,” Cook Folse claims. “It’s an in-gathering; it’s celebratory ; it is a prayer of thanks for all we have been in possession of from the swamp.”
John Folse grew up just east of the Atchafalaya Swamp and lost his mummy as a young boy. His pop raised 6 boys and two girls as a single parent. One of the things Mr. Folse felt he wanted to teach his youngsters was to be good cooks.
And their first lesson was that only the latest foods yield their true flavours. “He actually taught us to refuse anything less than great taste,” Cook says.
To serve the most up to date foods, you must know what’s 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 must know the way to know how to select the absolute best quality.
Well-taught cooks only purchase whole, in-shell, raw shrimp when they’re displayed 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 mythical taste of brown shrimp also implies learning a feeling of timing. “A lot of people are worried they will undercook shrimp,” Cook claims, “but the real crime would be to overcook it and boil out all the flavour and texture.”
Follow these tips and your shrimp are bound to yield their true Louisiana flavors.
So, celebrate Bonne Crevette with Cook Folse’s Shrimp Scampi. “Try this dish. It’s a straightforward, conventional shrimp recipe. And it is one of my favorites.”
Chef explains that though scampi is a term used some place else to describe a species of shrimp, in America it refers to an Italian dish. This straightforward recipe is superb when served over pasta, fish or chicken.
For a superb wine pairing, enjoy Shrimp Scampi with a drink of beautiful 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 put aside. In a giant saut pan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic, sauté 1-2 minutes or until edges turn golden. Blend in shrimp, shallots, basil and oregano. Employing a slotted spoon, turn shrimp occasionally until pink and curled. Add mushrooms and parsley, then deglaze with white wine. Serves 4.
Do you enjoy cooking and learning more about food? If yes, you may also visit cooking101.org to learn more about the many different kinds of recipes and cooking ideas that will be useful next time you are in the kitchen. Also, you might want to check out easy shrimp fried rice.
Tags: shrimp, shrimp recipe, shrimp scampi
