I recently had the chance to taste-test one of the most pronounced, yet simple, additions to my line, Mardi Gras seasoning. It is especially phenomenal on seafood, so I’d love to share a quick and easy recipe using this rub.
Mardi Gras Shrimp Recipe
Start by thawing and cleaning 1-2 lbs of shrimp. Pat shrimp dry and place in a gallon bag or big bowl.
In a separate bowl, combine 1 ounce of Mardi Gras Seasoning with about 2 to 3 Tablespoons of fresh lemon juice. Stir to distribute evenly. I recommend adding 1-3 cloves of fresh minced garlic at this point (you simply cannot replicate the flavor with dehydrated garlic).
Next, add about 1.5 to 2 Tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil; incorporate slowly until you have a consistency of a paste. This does not need to be an exact science, it is very forgiving so long as you have oil in the paste. However, don’t overdo it. Too much lemon or oil will take away from the final coating on the shrimp.
At this time, take all of your Mardi Gras paste and distribute it evenly to coat all of your shrimp. Close bag or cover bowl and let marinade in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, ideally for two hours before cook time.
Preheat your oven to a high broil and place all shrimp in an even layer on a baking sheet. At this point, add a few tablespoons of chopped Italian Parsley. If you have smaller shrimp, cook for 2 to 3 minutes, medium 3-4, and large/collosal up 8 minutes. Keep a close eye on the shrimp and, when in doubt, pull ’em out. I promise they will continue to cook and you can put them back in if needed, but once they’re overcooked it’s essentially game over.
A perfectly cooked shrimp should not be translucent and should be fork tender to the point of cutting a shrimp in half with a blunt object.
I recommend serving with chopped Italian Parsley as soon as it comes out of the oven, and warm fresh bread for dipping, or even over pasta, as the sauce is outstanding.
Chef’s tip: Add a few tablespoons of butter before putting the shrimp in the oven for even more flavor and especially if serving over pasta or rice for more sauce.
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do!
-Picasso
Here is an example of Mardi Gras Seasoned Salmon over Rice with a Fresh Mango Salsa! Simple and absolutely a full array of Flavors and Textures. One of my personal Favorite Summer Dishes to make when the mangos become plentiful here in Sunny South Florida.
Here is an example of Mardi Gras Seasoned Shrimp. Excellent appetizer for any party or dinner function. On top of it’s simple prep and cooking, it’s even easier to serve, just find a nice serving bowl or platter, and pair with a basket of sliced Baguette for dipping in that beautiful sauce. Guaranteed to leave your dishes with nothing but tails.
Here is an example of Mardi Gras Seasoned Chicken, over Rice, with a Sweet Thai Chili glaze. The key here is to get a nice sear initially on the chicken, using both EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) and Butter. The EVOO keeps the butter from burning in a pan that’s about 355 degrees, just about the mid range of what would probably be between MED and MED HI on your standard kitchen range. Depending on your BTU output per burner on gas, that can vary greatly. For example, on a Commercially rated NGas burner is going to put out much more heat than a home use gas burner. My point being, an infrared thermometer is under 30 dollars at harbor freight and will tell you exactly how hot your pan is! stop guessing! I know this comes out of the blue, but that’s why this is my blog, I’m here to just give you food for thought, hopefully leading to you becoming the best cook you can be. Believe me when I say that is an endless pit of delicious, and sometimes, questionable but interesting, nonetheless, meals. Anyways, back to the recipe hint, after you beautifully sear that well seasoned and perfectly butterflied chicken breast on both sides, you’re going to toss in about a cup of cherry tomatoes that you’ve halved, or if you like, a plum tomato or three that you diced and squeezed a bunch of those seeds and juice out of. Now is the fun part, sautee those with the chicken and as the water draws out, you can add Fresh sliced chili peppers and honey, a dash of rice vinegar and water to thin and hit it with fresh garlic, salt and fresh ground pepper. There are so many salts to use, but please go easy, and NEVER use that table salt trash, seriously. don’t ruin your food. Himalayan sea salt is cheap and phenomenally consistent. Okay so I said that first because I want you to understand how easy it is to make the best version of this dish. Taste it as you add an ingredient. This is being a chef, just on a micro scale. Every dish you’ve been over the moon about started with a chef changing a recipe over and over until they finally thought, THAT’S IT. The short cut here is to use MAE PLOY with the tomatoes and adding a hot sauce heavy in garlic. Look, that shit is great and you can buy it at almost any supermarket. I understand not everyone can just prep all these things in a few minutes. As a chef, I am giving you as much as I can to succeed, we all have different goals. By starting with my Mardi Gras Seasoning, you’re ahead of the game. Once the sauce starts to thicken, serve over rice and top with cut scallions (green OnYON). I like to cut them on a diagonal because they say fancy and CRONCH. I genuinely hope this post adds to your culinary repertoire, or at least earns a nod after a taste test from all you other chefs out there.
