Shrimp Creole over Rice with Bell Pepper

Ingredients

• 1½ lb Shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
• 1 Bell Pepper, diced
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 ribs celery, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp flour
• 1 cup seafood or chicken stock
• 2 bay leaves
• 1½ tsp Creole seasoning
• 1 tsp Worcestershire
• 3 cups cooked white rice, to serve
• Hot sauce, to serve

Method

1. Melt the butter in a heavy pot and whisk in the flour. Cook this blond roux 4 minutes, stirring constantly, until it smells like toasted crackers — you want color of peanut butter, no darker.
2. Add onion, celery, and Bell Pepper straight into the roux. They will seize and steam; keep stirring for 8 minutes until glossy and soft.
3. Stir in garlic, Creole seasoning, bay leaves, tomatoes, stock, and Worcestershire. Simmer uncovered 20 minutes until the sauce is thick enough to coat a spoon and no longer tastes raw and tinny.
4. Slide in the Shrimp and cook just 3–4 minutes, until opaque and curled into loose C shapes. Tight O shapes mean you went too far.
5. Pull the bay leaves, spoon over hot rice, and pass the hot sauce.