Shrimp & Tasso Henican
Ingredients
- Jumbo Shrimp - 24 each, peeled & deveined
- Tasso - 2 oz, cut into twenty-four 1-in. strips
- All Purpose Flour - ½ cup
- Creole Seafood Seasoning - (alt. any Creole seasoning mix)
- Vegetable Oil - ½ cup
- Crystal Hot Sauce Beurre Blanc - ¾ cup (see bellow)
- Five-Pepper Jelly - ¾ cup (see bellow)
- Pickled Okra - 12 pieces, cut in half top to bottom
- Five-Pepper Jelly
- Light Corn Syrup - 1 ½ cups
- White Vinegar - 1 ¼ cups
- Red Pepper Flakes - ½ teaspoon
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Red, yellow, and green bell pepper - 1 each large, seeded, membranes trimmed, and finely diced
- Jalapeno Peppers - 4, seeds and membranes removed, finely diced
- Crystal Hot Sauce Beurre Blanc
- Crystal Hot Sauce - 1/3 cup
- Shallots - 2 tablespoons, minced
- Garlic - 6 medium cloves, peeled and minced
- Heavy Cream - ¼ cup
- Unsalted Butter - 6 tablespoons, softened
- Kosher salt to taste
Instructions
For the Shrimp:
Cut a quarter-inch-deep incision down the back of each shrimp where it has been deveined, and place a tasso strip in each incision. Secure with a toothpick. Combine the flour with the Creole seasoning and lightly dredge each shrimp. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat and fry the shrimp in the hot oil for about 30 seconds on each side. Shrimp should be firm with a red-brown color. Remove the shrimp and drain briefly on a paper towel. Toss the shrimp with the Crystal Hot Sauce beurre blanc in a bowl, coat thoroughly, and remove the toothpicks.
Five-Pepper Jelly:
Place the corn syrup, vinegar, red pepper flakes, salt and black pepper in a small saucepan. Simmer to reduce by two thirds, until mixture is thickened. It will get even thicker as it cools, but the peppers will thin it again when they are added. Briefly place the peppers in a hot dry skillet and sauté until tender and their color is brightened, about 30 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, remove the peppers from the pan and them to the corn syrup mixture.
Crystal Hot Sauce Beurre Blanc:
Place the hot sauce, shallots, garlic, and cream in a small saucepan. Over medium heat, simmer until reduced by half, stirring frequently. Slowly whip the softened butter, a bit at a time, into the pot, being careful not to let the sauce break. Strain and keep the sauce warm. Add salt.
To Finish:
Place a portion of five-pepper jelly on each of 8 appetizer plates, and arrange 3 shrimp on each plate, alternating with 3 pieces of pickled okra.
