Cooking Lesson #309: Bacon-Wrapped, Crab-Stuffed Shrimp With Basil Cream Sauce

… from the California Kitchen

photo: bloglovin.com

How you doin'? This recipe is “Shreveport-style” stuffed shrimp because I believe this style originated in the kitchen of the Freeman & Harris Café in Shreveport. That gives these stuffed shrimp appetizers historical significance--Hey, mom—I’m making history. All of this is to say that these are more than just fancy shrimp. They’re history on a plate. A very delicious history.
 
When you go to Shreveport, you’ll find stuffed shrimp can be a little different from restaurant to restaurant.  However, there is a little historical argument as at least three restaurants that claim to be serving the “original, correct recipe.”  
 
So now I will add to the complications and add my own touch—bacon.  Bacon-Wrapped Crab-Stuffed Shrimp will knock your socks off!

Prep time:  1 hour
Cook time:  40 minutes
Yield:  4 servings

Ingredients
1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 finely chopped green onion, top and bottom
1/4 cup finely chopped red, yellow or orange bell pepper
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
2-1/2 teaspoons heavy cream
1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
1/8 cup mayonnaise
1 large egg
1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 pound crab meat pieces
8 extra colossal shrimp, peeled, de-veined, tails on
8 slices bacon, thinly sliced
basil cream sauce (recipe below)
 
Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 350⁰ F.
2. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat and cook the green onions, peppers and garlic powder until peppers are limp.
3. Place mixture in a bowl and add cream, mustard and cayenne pepper to sautéed vegetables, mix well.
4. Add the breadcrumbs, mayonnaise, egg, parsley and lemon juice; mix well.
5.  Gently fold in crab meat.
6. Form into very small patties sized to stuff into shrimp; set aside.
7. Split shrimp down the bottom center to tail, being careful not to cut through.
8. Stuff each shrimp with crab meat mixture.
9. Tightly wrap the shrimp with the bacon and secure with a toothpick.
10. Place the stuffed shrimp on a foil-lined rimmed sheet pan and bake until the bacon is crisp and shrimp are pink; about 15 to 20 minutes.
11. To serve, arrange 2 extra colossal shrimp on each plate on a bed of rice, if desired.
12. Drizzle with Basil Cream Sauce.

 
For the basil cream sauce
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 cup diced onions
1/4 cup white wine
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon chicken or lobster base (I prefer Better-than-Bullion)
1-1/2 tablespoons fresh chopped basil
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon roux, (see ChefSecret)
 
To make the basil cream sauce

1. Heat the butter and olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.
2. Add the garlic and onion and cook until lightly browned, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the white wine and reduce by half.
4. Add heavy cream and chicken base and reduce by half again.
5. Add basil, cheese and roux; bring to a simmer and heat until slightly thickened, about 2 to 3 minutes.

ChefSecret:  Roux is roux: the ratio is always the same—1 part flour, 1 part butter and that doesn't change. As with all Mother Sauces, roux is the thickener used in bechamel and how much of it you use depends upon how thick you want the sauce to be.

I called out thinly sliced bacon to wrap the shrimp—the thinner the better. This ensures that the bacon will become cooked sufficiently—the flavor will be better, too.

If you can’t find can’t find extra colossal sized shrimp, go down to the next size and increase the number of shrimp (and crab patties and bacon slices) for each guest.

Covid-19 Quip of the Day: “This pandemic has the tendency to prematurely age people. You know you’re turning into your parents when one minute you were young and fun, and the next you’re turning down the music to see the road better.”
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