Recipe: Baked Stuffed Shrimps and Crabmeat-Stuffed Shrimp for ROE

Baked Stuffed Shrimps

2 lbs Jumbo raw shrimp, tail on, peeled
1/2 cup cooked crabmeat, finely shredded
2 Tbsp butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup celery, finely chopped
1/2 cup mushrooms, finely chopped
1 tsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp sherry
2 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1 1/2 cups bread crumbs
1 egg slightly beaten
Parmesan cheese, grated (if desired)

Butterfly shrimp and place on greased baking sheet. Saut onions, garlic and celery in butter for 1-2 minutes. Stir in mushrooms, lemon juice and sherry. Cook for 2 more minutes. Remove pan from heat. Blend in crabmeat, breadcrumbs and egg. Spoon equal amounts of breadcrumb mixture on each butterflied shrimp. Sprinkle with cheese if desired. Broil shrimp about 5 inches from heat for 5-6 minutes or until browned.

Crabmeat-Stuffed Shrimp
Courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2002
Yield: 4 entree or 8 appetizer servings

1 pound fresh lump crabmeat, picked over for shells and cartilage
2 teaspoons Essence, recipe follows
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus 3 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
1/2 cup minced yellow onions
1/4 cup minced celery
1/4 minced green bell peppers
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 egg, lightly beaten
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon hot sauce
1 1/2 cups crushed buttery, flaky crackers
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
20 jumbo shrimp (about 2 pounds), shelled, leaving tail and connecting shell segment, deveined, and butterflied lengthwise

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespon chopped garlic
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 pound kale, chiffonade
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Chopped parsley, garnish
1 lemon, cut into wedges, garnish

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter a large baking dish and set aside. Place the crabmeat in a large bowl and season with the Essence. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

In a large skillet, melt 4 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat. Add the onions, celery, and bell peppers and cook, stirring, until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the parsley and the garlic, and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Remove from heat and let cool.

Add the cooled vegetables to the crabmeat and toss to combine. Add the mayonnaise, egg, lemon juice, Worcestershire and hot sauce and stir gently with a large wooden spoon. Add 1 cup of the cracker crumbs, the salt, and pepper, and stir gently, being careful not to break up the crabmeat.

Mound about 2 tablespoons of the crabmeat stuffing into each shrimp, press gently to close, and place, stuffed sides up, in the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of the flaky, buttery cracker crumbs over the stuffed shrimp and drizzle with the remaining melted butter. Bake until golden, about 20 minutes.

While the shrimp are baking, heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add the olive oil. Add the garlic and crushed red pepper and cook, stirring continuously, for 1 minute. Add the kale and saute until the kale is just wilted, about 3 to 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Place the kale on 4 plates. Remove the shrimp from the oven and divide among plates, on top of the kale. Garnish with parsley and lemon wedges. Serve immediately.

Essence (Emeril's Creole Seasoning):
2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried leaf oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight jar or container. Yield: about 2/3 cup.