Test Kitchen: Shrimp Epicé

Bread is a brilliant accessory to a delicious sauce. It saves you from this common predicament when dining out: "Will anyone notice if I lick the plate? Will I be able to stop myself from licking the plate?"

And so I'd like to give thanks to rosemary pepper drop biscuits. Even though I made this dish in the privacy of my own home, I faced no judgment from my cats as I daintily sopped up the ah-mazing andouille cream sauce. (Well, no more judgment than usual.)

The shrimp itself is simply seasoned (the ol' salt-and-pepper drill), but the sauce which ultimately coats it is a savory wonder. Notes of honey, soy, and ginger; salty andouille; sharp red onion; and the full-bodied acidity of a ripe tomato. Puréed and finished off in the pan with heavy cream.

Chef Glen Hogh at New Orleans' Café Sbisa has created a true treat. The bold flavor notes keep the sauce from feeling too heavy, and the slightly chunky texture from the andouille makes it easy to transport from the plate to your lips.

I've reposted Café Sbisa's recipe below, and you can read about them (and find other recipes) here. Since our review was published in November 2008, the restaurant has closed and then been revived. Our New Orleans food writer Brenda Maitland offered a favorable report with Déjà Vu on Decatur in January 2014.

Gulf Shrimp Epicé

A recipe from Chef Glen Hogh at Café Sbisa

My changes: I halved the recipe and substituted half-and-half for the heavy cream. I also elected to use white wine and white wine vinegar instead of sherry. And I left out the parsley (more of an oversight than a firm decision).

You can find the recipe for the divine (and simple and cheap) rosemary pepper drop biscuits at my blog, My Weekend's Cooked.

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

• 1 +1/2 lbs. andouille (loose, not cased)        
• 4 ripe tomatoes, diced
• 1 tbsp. fresh grated ginger
• 1/4 cup red onion, diced
• 1/2 cup garlic, crushed
• 1/2 cup sherry vinegar
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 tbsp. honey
• 1 cup sherry
• salt & pepper to taste
• 3 tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 tbsp. fresh parsley, minced
• 2 lbs. jumbo gulf shrimp

Method

1. Lightly sauté andouille, then add ginger, garlic, and red onion. Continue for 3-4 minutes over medium heat. Add tomatoes, soy, honey, and sherry vinegar. Simmer for 5 minutes, then add sherry. Continue for an additional 25 minutes. Set aside to cool. Using a hand blender, gently purée mixture until smooth. Yields approx. 6 cups sauce.
2. Season shrimp with salt & pepper. Heat skillet with 2-3 tablespoons of oil over high heat (approx. 4 min). Add shrimp and sear for 2 minutes each side. Add ¾ cup of andouille sauce. Once heated, finish with ¼ cup heavy cream. Combine parsley into mixture. Remove from heat.
3. At Café Sbisa we serve with a fresh baked Focaccia biscuit in the center of bowl, but any crusty bread can be substituted. Arrange shrimp around the biscuit and add remaining sauce into bowl. Serve, savor, and enjoy.