Ingredients:

  • 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1 large yellow onion, finely diced
  • 2 stalks celery, finely diced
  • 1 medium green bell pepper, finely diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained
  • 1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
  • 1 cup chicken or seafood stock
  • 1 large bay leaf
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/4 to 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 5 lbs large shrimp (26/30 count), peeled & deveined
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish
  • Hot cooked long-grain white rice, for serving

Instructions:

  1. Melt butter in a large, heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, celery, and bell pepper (The Holy Trinity). Sauté slowly for 10–12 minutes, stirring frequently, until softened and translucent.
  2. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir constantly for 2 minutes to cook out the raw flour taste.
  3. Pour in the diced tomatoes (with juices), tomato sauce, and stock. Stir well to incorporate the flour mixture into the liquids, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
  4. Add the bay leaf, thyme, oregano, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper. Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer. Reduce heat to low, cover partially, and let the sauce bubble gently for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes for flavour development.
  5. While the sauce simmers, ensure the shrimp are clean and patted very dry. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
  6. Remove the bay leaf from the sauce. Increase heat to medium-low. Add the seasoned shrimp to the simmering sauce, stirring gently to submerge them.
  7. Simmer, uncovered, for just 3–5 minutes. Shrimp cook quickly; they are done when they curl into a 'C' shape and turn opaque pink. Do not overcook.
  8. Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning. Ladle generously over mounds of hot, fluffy rice and garnish heavily with fresh parsley.