Recipe By Chef John Folse For Shrimp Scampi

Famous Louisiana Chef John Folse is a man with a deep, warm voice. And when he speaks about Louisiana food, there is no doubt where his heart is.

“Eating in Louisiana is a faith ; it isn’t virtually nutrition,” Chef Folse claims. “It’s an in-gathering ; it’s celebratory; it’s a prayer of thanks for all we have been blessed with from the swamp.”

John Folse grew up just east of the Atchafalaya Swamp and lost his mother as a young boy. His pop raised six boys and 2 girls as a single parent. One of the things Mr. Folse felt he needed to teach his youngsters was to be good cooks.

And their first lesson was that only the freshest foods yield their true flavours. “He really taught us to decline anything less than great taste,” Cook says.

To serve the latest foods, you have to know what’s in season. “When it’s brown shrimp season, you eat brown shrimp. When it’s white shrimp season, you eat white shrimp. When it’s strawberry season, you eat strawberries,” Cook laughs.

Locals call brown shrimp season Bonne Crevette-translation, good shrimp! The season starts in May and runs until fall. Even during Bonne Crevette, you need to know how to select the best quality.

Well-taught cooks only purchase entire, in-shell, raw shrimp when they are shown on a thick bed of fresh ice-not melting-under a cover. The shrimp meats must be firm to the touch, not soft. The shells must be translucent and moist, not dull or dry.

Learning to capture the mythical taste of brown shrimp also suggests learning a sense of timing. “A lot of people are worried they will undercook shrimp,” Cook asserts, “but the real crime would be to overcook it and boil out all the flavor and texture.”

Follow these tips and your shrimp are sure to yield their true Louisiana flavours.

So, celebrate Bonne Crevette with Chef Folse’s Shrimp Scampi. “Try this dish. It’s an easy, traditional shrimp recipe. And it’s one of my favorites.”

Chef explains that though scampi is a term used some place else to describe a species of shrimp, in America it refers to an Italian dish. This straightforward recipe is superb when served over pasta, fish or chicken.

For a superb wine pairing, enjoy Shrimp Scampi with a drink of beautiful Alice White Chardonnay.

Chef John Folse’s Shrimp Scampi

11/2 pounds ( 20-25 count ) Louisiana shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/2 cup flour

Salt & cracked black pepper to taste

Tabasco Pepper Sauce to taste

1/2 cup olive oil

6 cloves garlic, sliced

1/4 cup shallots, chopped

2 tbsp fresh basil

2 tbsp fresh oregano

1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced

1/4 cup parsley, minced

1/2 cup dry white wine

In a bowl, mix flour, salt and peppers. Dust shrimp lightly in seasoned flour and put aside. In a giant saut pan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic, sauté 1-2 minutes or till edges turn golden. Blend in shrimp, shallots, basil and oregano. Employing a slotted spoon, turn shrimp often till pink and curled. Add mushrooms and parsley, then deglaze with white wine. Serves 4.

How much time do you spend cooking each day? For some easy recipes you can use daily to create some of the best meals, visit cooking101.org and have a look at easy shrimp fried rice recipe.

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