Shrimp Sauce Piquante

Football season is back and for me, that means a lot of New Orleans Saints action happening in my home. What’s game day without a delicious, home-cooked meal to get the football party started?!

I’m from Louisiana so obviously, I root for the Saints. There’s something about New Orleans and being in the city (and the Superdome!) on game day. The energy is indescribable and it’s always such a good time. I know things are different this year due to the ongoing pandemic and unfortunately, there are no fans allowed into the stadium. It’s such a weird time for everyone but that doesn’t mean that we can’t continue to be dedicated fans in our homes.

I can’t watch a Saints game in my home without cooking a home-cooked Cajun meal. It just doesn’t feel right. Last week for the Saints first game of the season, I prepared a delicious shrimp sauce piquante. Basically, sauce piquante is a style of cooking used for several types of proteins including seafood. Sauce piquante is tomato based and very similar to a stew as it cooks for quite some time to develop all of the unique flavors. The key to cooking this dish is low & slow.

If you have a shellfish allergy or don’t want to use shrimp, you can substitute with another protein such as chicken, venison, andouille sausage… even alligator! This dish is perfect for Fall because it’s a pot of stew that brings all of the warm and cozy vibes. I hope you love this classic Cajun dish as much as I do!

Geaux Saints!

XX,

JJ

Shrimp Sauce Piquante

A flavorful Cajun meal that's perfect for the Fall and Winter season.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 mins

Cook Time 2 hrs

Course Main Course

Cuisine Cajun

Servings 6 people

Equipment

• Large Pot
• Cutting Board & Chef's Knife

Ingredients

  

• 1 lb Raw Shrimp peeled and deveined
• 1 Yellow Onion small dice
• 1 Bell Pepper small dice
• 1 Celery small dice
• 2 cloves Garlic
• 30 oz can Diced Tomatoes
• 2 Tbsp Tomato Paste
• 1/2 cup White Wine
• 2 cups Seafood Stock
• 2 Bay Leaves
• 2 Tbsp Creole Seasoning
• 2 Tbsp Hot Sauce preferably Louisiana or Tabasco
• 1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
• 2 sprigs Fresh Thyme
• 1/2 cup Green Onions sliced
• 2 Tbsp Italian Parsley freshly chopped
• 2 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
• 1 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
• Salt & Pepper to taste
• 2 cups Rice

Instructions

 

• Heat the butter and vegetable oil in a large pot over medium heat.
• Add the onion, celery and bell pepper and cook until softened, about 6-8 minutes.
• Add the garlic and cook for an additional 2 minutes.
• Add the tomato paste and caramelize, about 4 minutes.
• Deglaze the pan with the white wine and allow to evaporate completely.
• Add the diced tomatoes along with the seafood stock.
• Add the creole seasoning, bay leaves and fresh thyme sprigs.
• Bring the sauce to a boil and then reduce to a low simmer and allow to cook for 45 minutes.
• In the meantime, cook 2 cups of rice.
• The sauce should have thickened on it's own from cooking low & slow.
• Next, add the hot sauce and worcestershire sauce. Season with salt & pepper to taste.
• Crank the heat back up to medium. Add the shrimp to the sauce and allow to cook- this won't take long!
• Serve over hot rice and garnish with sliced green onions. Bon Appetit!