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COMMENT: Long before lake and gulf shrimp were
available to Louisianans, river shrimp were in great supply. Many
dishes featured this unique ingredient, but none more famous than
the Creole Style Sweet Corn and Shrimp Soup. The marriage of these
items came about because of our friendship with the native American
Indians and their gift of corn.
Mamere (grandmother) made the best corn and shrimp soup, period!
Many days my brothers and I would sit around her large kitchen table
peeling river shrimp and pulling the silk from the freshly picked
corn. Using an "Old Hickory" knife, she would remove the
kernels from the cobs and then the secret to her tasty recipe was
revealed. She would boil the corn cobs with the shells of the river
shrimp in a large pot, seasoned with yellow onions, celery, garlic
and one hot pepper. The aroma was incredible. This secret stock
was then strained through her old bent colander. The results of
her labor still linger on in my memory, so many years later. I have
taken the liberty to use canned corn in place of fresh in this recipe.
INGREDIENTS:
- ½ cup dried shrimp
- 1 pound small (70-90) shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 5 cans (15 ounces) Whole Kernel Corn
- 5 cans (15 ounces) Cream Style Corn
- 1 stick butter
- 2 cups diced onion
- 1 cup diced celery
- 1 cup diced green bell pepper
- ¼ cup minced garlic
- 2 cans (15 ounce) Stewed Tomatoes
- 1 can (10 ounce) Rotel
- 2 cans (5 ounce) V-8 Juice
- Season All to taste
- granulated garlic to taste
- black pepper to taste
METHOD:
In a large sauce pot, melt butter. Add onions, celery, bell pepper
and garlic and sauté until onions are transparent, about
3-5 minutes. Add raw shrimp and sauté until they are just
pink. Add all canned ingredients and dried shrimp. Season to taste
using Season All, granulated garlic and pepper. Bring to a boil,
reduce to simmer and cook for approximately 45 minutes. Add additional
seasonings or water if necessary.
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