Shrimp Creole

Toast the shrimp shells in a large saucepan over medium heat with unsalted butter until lightly toasted. Add vegetable trim from dicing thyme, bay leaf, whole black peppercorns and cook until a nicely browned base, 4-5 minutes. Add white wine to deglaze the pan, add lemon and low-sodium chicken stock. Simmer 15 - 20 minutes until flavorful, strain and reserve for creole. (Be careful adding salt to this stock, seafood tends to create saltier stocks so refrain from adding additional salt).

In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add onions and cook for 1-2 minutes, season with salt and pepper. Then add bell peppers and celery. Cook until lightly browned about 3-4 minutes. Add garlic, okra, bay leaves, paprika, cajun, and cook 1 to 2 minutes more. Add canned tomatoes and scrape any pieces from the bottom of the pan. Add stock, bring to a simmer and reduce total volume by 1/4, about 10 minutes. Add Worcestershire, lemon zest, cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add lemon juice, parsley, and cajun seasoning. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Heat olive oil in large cast-iron or skillet over medium-high heat. Season shrimp with salt, pepper, and Cajun seasoning. Seared on one side for 1-2 minutes, flip and cook an additional 1 minute or until golden brown and cooked through.

Add cooked shrimp to the Creole, add lemon zest and juice, and parsley. Serve over white rice.

Enjoy!