Shrimp de Jonghe was created by a Belgian chef/restaurateur in Chicago many years ago – probably in the ‘20’s. It’s been one of my favorite things to eat since I was about six and my “Fairy Godmother” took our family to a restaurant where this was a specialty. I figured out how to make it when I was a teenager, and the rest is history. I didn’t know until recently, though, that Shrimp de Jonghe was unknown to most of the rest of the USA. If you like shrimp, you definitely should have this recipe!
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 or 2 cloves garlic, very finely chopped (or to taste)
- 1 cup bread crumbs from a stale baguette
- 1/3 cup very finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 1/2 cup fino sherry
- dash of cayenne pepper
- dash of paprika
- 2 pounds jumbo wild american shrimp, peeled and deveined
Instruction
- Cream together butter, salt and garlic. Mix the bread crumbs, parsley, sherry, pepper and paprika with the butter mixture.
- Put the shrimp into boiling salted water. Cover and remove from heat to remain only until they turn pink. Rinse with cold water and drain.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Butter 4 to 6 individual ovenproof dishes, or one large, shallow casserole dish.
- Divide shrimp among casserole dishes. Mound crumb mixture on top. Bake 20 minutes or until crumbs are golden brown and sizzling
- Teacher’s Tip: Because this is so unbelievably rich, Shrimp de Jonghe doesn’t want much in the way of accompaniment. A simple salad with a vinaigrette or a plain-but-perfect green vegetable along with enough crusty bread to sop up ALL the sauce will be PERFECT!
- Wine Tip: The richness of Shrimp de Jonghe lends itself naturally to an elegant Chardonnay. I’d suggest a Meursault (from the southern end of Burgundy).
