Celebrate National Shrimp Day: 11 Shrimp Recipes
If you need a break from the abundance of crawfish in your life, or just an excuse to make a delicious shrimp dish, the perfect day for you is coming. May 10 is National Shrimp Day. I’m not sure how this celebration came about. Even the National Calendar Day website hasn’t discovered the day’s origins.
Regardless, while Louisianians never need an excuse to eat – or celebrate – shrimp, we now have a reason to take a break from crawfish and elevate our shrimp consumption by utilizing a delicious new recipe. Enjoy the 11 shrimp recipes for National Shrimp Day below with images.
- Shrimp Creole
- Shrimp Salad
- Shrimp and Chorizo Tacos
- Louisiana Shrimp Gazpacho
- Shrimp Salad with Tomatoes and Pesto
- Shrimp Tacos
- Shrimp and Corn Soup
- Shrimp Scampi
- Shrimp Linguine
- Shrimp and Guacamole Tostadas
- Ham Roll-ups with Shrimp
11 Shrimp Recipes for National Shrimp Day
1. Shrimp Creole
Shrimp Recipe 1: Shrimp Creole
Recipe by Stanley Dry
4 tablespoons butter
1 bay leaf
1 large onion, diced
1 rib celery, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon flour
1 1/2 cups diced fresh tomatoes with liquid
Hot sauce, such as Tabasco, to taste
2 pounds large uncooked shrimp, peeled with tail on
5 cups hot cooked rice, for serving
2 green onions, sliced for garnish
Add butter to a large skillet. Heat until the butter begins to foam. Add the bay leaf and allow it to cook in the butter for 1 minute. Add onions and cook for 10 minutes. Add the celery, bell pepper and garlic and saute until the vegetables are beginning to soften, about 10 minutes.
Add the thyme, salt, pepper and cayenne. Stir. Sprinkle flour over the vegetable mixture and cook for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and their juices to the hot sauce. Simmer for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally. (If the tomato mixture appears to be too thick, add a few tablespoons of wine until it returns to a pourable consistency.) Cook an extra 5 minutes.
Remove bay leaf. Add shrimp and cook until pink, 3-4 minutes. Serve over hot cooked rice and garnish with sliced green onion.
2. Shrimp Salad
Shrimp Recipe 2: Shrimp Salad
Recipe by Stanley Dry
1 pound small shrimp, peeled
2 tablespoons Cajun/Creole seasoning
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon finely-grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons capers
1/4 cup chopped green olives
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
2 tablespoons chopped green onion tops
4 radishes, thinly sliced
coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
cayenne pepper to taste
Put shrimp and Cajun/Creole seasoning in a pot, cover with water and place over high heat. When it comes to a boil, remove from heat, cover and leave shrimp in water for one minute. Drain and cool.
In a bowl, combine olive oil, lemon juice and mustard and a whisk to form an emulsion. Add thyme and lemon zest and whisk. Add cooled shrimp, capers and olives and stir to combine. Season with salt, black pepper and cayenne. Add parsley, onion tops and radishes.
3. Shrimp and Chorizo Tacos (6)
Shrimp Recipe 3: Shrimp and Chorizo Tacos
Recipe by Liz Williams
(You can make your own tortillas for these tacos, but if not, buy the best and freshest that you can find.)
2 tablespoons neutral oil
1 pound chorizo, chopped into bite-sized pieces
1 pound peeled shrimp
1 tablespoon ground chili powder
1 cup finely shredded cabbage
2 fresh avocados, sliced
2 tomatoes, chopped, salted, and drained
1 ripe mango, peeled and chopped
4 scallions, chopped green and white parts
3 thinly slice radishes
Crema
Limes for squeezing
Heat the oil in a skillet. When it shimmers, add the chorizo. Toss in the pan and cook and let the fat render. Cook for 5 minutes. Add the shrimp. Stir for another 3 minutes or until the shrimp are pink. Sprinkle on the chile powder and toss again.
Assemble the tacos by taking a tortilla and creating a base of cabbage and add avocados, tomatoes, mango, shrimp, scallions and radishes. Top with crema. Squeeze a bit of lime juice. Fold the tortilla and eat. Don’t overstuff it. It is better to simply eat a second one.
4. Louisiana Shrimp Gazpacho
Shrimp Recipe 4: Louisiana Shrimp Gazpacho
Recipe by Stanley Dry
1 de-seeded cucumber, chopped
2 1/2 pounds ripe Creole tomatoes, chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley, plus more for garnish
4 tablespoons cane vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil, plus more for drizzling bowls
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Cherry tomatoes cut in half and 3 peeled boiled shrimp for each bowl, as garnish
Place cucumbers, tomatoes, bell pepper, onion, garlic, parsley, vinegar, olive oil, salt, paprika and pepper into a blender. Blend until the mixture is uniform. If it seems a bit too thick, add water 1 tablespoon at a time and blend until the consistency is to your liking. Chill for at least 2 hours.
To serve, allow to warm for 10 minutes before serving. It shouldn’t be frigid. Place the gazpacho into bowls and add 4 cherry tomato halves to each bowl, a small shower of parsley and shrimp. Drizzle with olive oil. Serve.
5. Shrimp Salad with Tomatoes and Pesto
Shrimp Recipe 5: Shrimp Salad with Tomatoes and Pesto
Recipe by Stanley Dry
1 pound boiled shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 tablespoons fresh-squeezed lemon juice
½ pound cherry tomatoes, halved
pesto (see following recipe)
coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
lettuce leaves
In a medium bowl, toss shrimp with lemon juice. Add tomatoes and pesto, and toss to coat well. Season with salt and pepper. Serve on lettuce leaves. Makes 4 servings as an appetizer.
Pesto
2 cups loosely packed fresh basil
½ clove garlic
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons pine nuts (optional)
¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan
coarse salt
Place basil, garlic and olive oil in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse several times, stopping to scrape down the bowl as needed, until basil is pureed. Add optional pine nuts and Parmesan and pulse to combine. Season to taste with salt.
6. Shrimp Tacos
Shrimp Recipe 6: Shrimp Tacos
Recipe by Stanley Dry
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon chipotle chile pepper
corn or flour tortillas
shredded cabbage
thinly sliced radishes
lime wedges
salsa
Crema
Preheat broiler. Combine shrimp, olive oil, salt, smoked paprika and chipotle chile pepper in a bowl and toss to coat. Transfer shrimp to a broiler pan or cast iron skillet and broil until shrimp are cooked through, about 5 minutes, depending on broiler.
Meanwhile, heat tortillas on a griddle or cast-iron pan. Serve tortillas filled with shrimp, cabbage and radishes, with a squeeze of lime and drizzled with salsa and crema. Makes about 16 tacos.
7. Shrimp and Corn Soup (Serves 4 – 6)
Shrimp Recipe 7: Shrimp and Corn Soup
By Dale Curry
6 ears corn, kernels removed
2 pounds head-on shrimp
¼ cup butter, melted
¼ cup vegetable oil
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 large onion, chopped
5 green onions, white and green parts separated and chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 quarts shrimp or chicken stock
1 large or 2 medium tomatoes, peeled and chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 bay leaf
½ teaspoon thyme
½ cup heavy cream
⅓ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
Peel and devein shrimp. To make stock, place heads and shells in a large pot. Cover with 2 quarts of water, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Strain and set aside.
In a large pot, mix butter and oil. Add flour and heat over medium-high, stirring constantly, until mixture is the color of peanut butter. Add onions, bell pepper and celery. Simmer until vegetables are wilted. Add garlic and cook 1 minute. Gradually add stock and then tomato and seasonings. Simmer, covered, for about 30 minutes.
Add corn and simmer for 15 minutes. Add shrimp and cook for 10 more minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cream, green onion tops and parsley. Serve hot.
8. Shrimp Scampi (Serves 4 to 6)
Shrimp Recipe 8: Shrimp Scampi
Recipe by Marcelle Bienvenue
2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
¾ pound linguini or angel hair pasta
1½ sticks butter
2 tablespoons minced garlic
¾ cup white wine
¼ cup heavy cream
¼ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon cayenne
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons minced chives
pinch or two freshly-ground black pepper
Cook linguini or angel hair pasta, drain (reserving ½ cup of pasta water) and set aside. Toss pasta with pasta water to prevent it from sticking together.
In a large skillet, heat butter over medium heat. Add garlic, and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add wine and cook, stirring, over medium heat until it reduces by half, about 5 minutes.
Add cream and whisk to blend. Add shrimp and cook until they turn pink, 3 to 5 minutes. Season with salt, cayenne and black pepper.
To serve, drain pasta (if there is extra liquid with the pasta), then combine it with sauce, tossing to coat evenly. Garnish with parsley and chives.
9. Shrimp Linguine (Serves 4)
Recipe 9: Shrimp Linguine
Recipe by Stanley Dry
12 ounces linguine
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
½ cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons butter, softened
coarse salt and freshly-ground black pepper
¼ cup freshly-grated Parmesan
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Cook linguine in salted boiling water, according to package instructions, until al dente.
Meanwhile, in a large, nonreactive skillet or pot, combine shrimp, olive oil, garlic, crushed red pepper and wine. Bring to a boil and cook until shrimp turn pink. Reduce heat to a simmer. When linguine is ready, drain in a colander, reserving some of the cooking water.
Add linguine and butter to shrimp and toss to combine. If needed, add some of the pasta cooking water to make a sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Turn linguine and shrimp into a warmed serving bowl. Add Parmesan and parsley and toss to coat.
10. Shrimp and Guacamole Tostadas (12)
Recipe by Stanley Dry
Shrimp Recipe 10: Shrimp and Guacamole Tostadas
1 pound small shrimp, peeled
2 tablespoons Cajun/Creole seasoning
2 medium avocados
¼ cup diced onion
¼ cup diced tomato
2 teaspoons chopped cilantro
juice of 1 lime
1 finely minced serrano pepper, or to taste
coarse salt to taste
1 package tostadas
½ pint sour cream
Put shrimp and Cajun/Creole seasoning in a pot, cover with water and place over high heat. When it comes to a boil, remove from heat, cover and leave shrimp in water for one minute. Drain and cool.
Halve avocados, remove seeds and, using a spoon, scoop out the avocado pulp and place in a bowl. Mash avocado with fork. Add onion, tomato, cilantro and lime juice and combine ingredients. Add serrano pepper and salt to taste.
To serve, spread a tostada with guacamole, cover with shrimp and top with a dollop of sour cream. Makes 12 or more tostadas.
11. Ham Roll-ups with Shrimp (Serves 6)
Shrimp Recipe 11: Ham Roll-ups with Shrimp
Recipe by Liz Williams
(This is a great way to use leftovers. It uses up ham that might be left over from a big family or company meal and extra shrimp. It is akin to a lobster roll, using southern ingredients. It’s great picnic food, so serve it with potato salad and sliced tomato salad. )
6 thin slices of Virginia ham
1 pound shrimp, peeled, boiled and chopped finely
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
¼ finely chopped fresh cabbage
Zest of half an orange
6 toasted and buttered hot dog buns
Set the slices of ham out on a platter.
Place the shrimp, mayonnaise, paprika, cabbage and orange zest in a bowl and mix. Divide the mixture and spread 1/6 of the mixture on each ham slice. Roll up the ham slice jelly roll style. Place the roll in a prepared bun.
