New Orleans Cuisine - Shrimp Remoulade Recipe

Shrimp Remoulade (pronounced ruma-lahd) is a nice first coarse cold appetizer, because the sauce has a nice zip to it that really gets your taste buds jumping. Of course, the most important thing about this dish is the Shrimp. There is nothing worse than bland, overcooked Shrimp, so I've included my recipe (which is actually more of a technique). As far as the best Shrimp Remoulade in New Orleans, I'll leave that up to you and the comments section, as always your comments are always appreciated! One that I had in the city was at Arnaud's, which is supposed to be famous for it's Remoulade, called Shrimp Arnaud. I thought it was too heavy on the horseradish personally, and I'm a guy that likes horseradish. I like a balance of flavors, all I got out of the one at Arnaud's was nostril flare.
There are two types of Remoulade sauces in Louisiana, and probably a million recipes for each. One is a white, mayonnaise based style, similar to the French Bistro Classic, Celeriac Remoulade. The other is a red version, the version I prefer, and the one which is below. This sauce is best if made a day ahead to let the flavors marry. The Recipe:

Remoulade Sauce Recipe

1 Large Rib Celery, Chopped
2 Green Onions, Chopped
1 Garlic Clove, Chopped
1 Tbsp Italian Parsley, Finely Chopped
2 Tbsp Creole Mustard
2 Tbsp Paprika
1/4 Cup White Vinegar
1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
1 Tbsp Horseradish
2 tsp Hot Sauce
2 Tbsp Ketchup
Kosher Salt & Black Pepper To Taste
1/2 tsp Cayenne or to taste

Combine the above ingredients in a food processor, process until smooth. With the motor still running, slowly drizzle in:

1 oz. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 Cup Vegetable Oil

The emulsion should be fairly thick. Adjust the seasonings and refrigerate overnight.

For the Shrimp, I used a 26-35 Ct Shrimp. When cooking Cocktail Shrimp it's important to leave the shells on, both for flavor and to prevent the shrimp from curling up too much. I don't cook these long at all, it's actually more of a steep. This is for a small portion:

Boiled Shrimp Recipe

1 tsp Mustard Seed
1 Tbsp Black Peppercorns
3 Tbsp Kosher Salt
1 Tbsp Cayenne
2 Fresh Bay Leaves
1 Rib Celery Chopped
1 tsp Whole Allspice
5 Whole Cloves
1 1/2 Lemon
6 Cups Water

Combine the ingredients in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer partially covered for 20-30 minutes. Prepare an ice bath, call it 6 cups ice and 6 cups cold water. Return the liquid to a boil. Add:

16 Shrimp (26-35 Ct)

Turn off the heat. Wait 2 minutes (make sure the Shrimp are white all the way through), then remove them to the ice bath. When they're completely cooled, remove the shell and tail, then devein.

Marinate the shrimp in the sauce for about 30 minutes, I don't like to keep them in too long.

To serve the Shrimp Remoulade, cover the base of 2 chilled appetizer or salad plates with shredded lettuce. Tastefully arrange the shrimp on top of the lettuce, 8 per plate, and garnish with green onions, thinly sliced on the bias.

Serves 2.