Seafood Sauce Piquant

Main Course

Recipe courtesy of Chef John Folse

Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients: 
  • 1 pound (21-25 count) shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 1 pound jumbo lump crabmeat
  • 1 pint select oysters in liquid
  • 1 pound redfish, cubed
  • 1/2 cup oil
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 1 cup onions, diced
  • 1 cup celery, diced
  • 1 cup bell peppers, diced
  • 2 tablespoons garlic, minced
  • 8 ounce can tomato sauce
  • 1 cup diced tomatoes
  • 1 tablespoon jalapeños, minced
  • 2 whole bay leaves
  • 1/2 teaspoon thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoon basil
  • 1½ quarts fish stock
  • 1 cup green onions, sliced
  • 1 cup parsley, chopped
  • salt and cracked black pepper to taste

Seafood Sauce Piquant

  Seafood Sauce Piquant

Click image to enlarge.

Method: 

In a 1-gallon heavy-bottomed saucepot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Whisk in flour, stirring constantly until dark brown roux is achieved. Add onions, celery, bell pepper and garlic. Sauté 3-5 minutes or until vegetables are wilted. Stir in diced tomatoes and jalapeños. Blend well then add bay leaves, thyme and basil.

Slowly add fish stock, one ladle at a time, stirring constantly until all is incorporated. Bring to a low boil, reduce to simmer and cook 30 minutes. Add additional fish stock if necessary to retain volume. Add fish, shrimp, oysters and oyster liquid and continue to cook 5-10 additional minutes. Add green onions and parsley. Season to taste using salt and pepper.
When shrimp are pink and curled, carefully fold in lump crabmeat. Adjust seasonings if necessary.

Serve over hot white rice or pasta.

Chef's Note: The foundation of sauce piquante definitely came from the early Spanish. Since then, the popular dish has been altered by the Cajuns of bayou country and is often made with seafood.


 

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