Famous Louisiana Chef John Folse is a man with 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 almost nutrition,” Cook Folse claims. “It’s an in-gathering; it’s celebratory ; it is 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 2 girls as a single parent. One of the things Mr. Folse felt he needed to teach his youngsters was to be good cooks.
And their first lesson was that only the latest foods yield their true tastes. “He truly taught us to decline 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,” Cook laughs.
Locals call brown shrimp season Bonne Crevette-translation, good shrimp! The season begins in May and runs until fall. Even during Bonne Crevette, you must know the way to know how to select the very best quality.
Well-taught cooks only purchase whole, 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 shells must be translucent and moist, not dull or dry.
Learning to capture the legendary taste of brown shrimp also suggests learning a sense of timing. “A lot of people are worried they will undercook shrimp,” Chef says, “but the real crime would be to overcook it and boil out all the flavor and texture.”
Follow these tips and your shrimp are sure 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’s one of my favorites.”
Chef explains that although scampi is a term used elsewhere to describe a species of shrimp, in America it refers to an Italian dish. This simple recipe is superb when served over pasta, fish or chicken.
For a fantastic wine pairing, enjoy Shrimp Scampi with a glass 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 mixing bowl, mix flour, salt and peppers. Dust shrimp lightly in seasoned flour and put aside. In an enormous saut pan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic, sauté 1-2 minutes or until edges turn golden. Mix 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.
What kind of food do you like making? Visit cooking101.org to get some of the simplest recipes you can use for your next meal. Also check out grilling shrimp.
Tags: shrimp, shrimp recipe, shrimp scampi