Who left the shrimp feet in the Brazilian Shrimp and Andouille Sausage Stew?

Now, here’s a recipe that can be made quickly and is great for a weeknight autumn evening.  Satisfying, spicy, shrimpy and delicious. But, don’t forget to remove the shells from the shrimp.

Were you looking closely at the shrimp in the above picture to see if you could find the shrimp feet?  I thought so.  The above picture was actually the second batch I made, sans the shrimp feet.  When I saw this recipe at the blog, I Breathe…I’m Hungry, I knew I had to make it to surprise Yes!Chef!  I should know better than to do that because I am greatly out of practice on my cooking skills.

Ignoring that little fact, I bought the necessary ingredients, including frozen raw shrimp that had been cleaned but not shelled with the tails on.

Then, I whipped it up the next night and presented it to Yes!Chef!.  I must say I had a smug look on my face.  I would have patted myself on the back quite heartily if I could have reached my back.

And then…

Yes!Chef!:  This looks great.

Me:  (smiles and nods.)

Yes!Chef!: Ummm…are the shells supposed to be left on the shrimp?

That’s when I came crashing back to reality.  My hopes of a great meal were dashed as we picked thru the soup to find the shrimp and peel the skin off them. I never even noticed the shells as I was photographing the dish.  But, the clue phone should have been ringing when I saw their little feet.  It just didn’t register.

I really, really liked the way this soup tasted and left me feeling satisfied.  I loved the taste of the coconut milk along with the zing of Sriracha.  But, I was pretty down-hearted about the shrimp feet.  So, like Scarlett O’Hara, I vowed to try again another day.

The next time I went down to Placerville…which was the next day because I am virtually driving back and forth to Placerville every day to check on the remodel…I took my time and thought about the recipe and how I could put my own spin on it.

Taking a walk without benefit of anything other than your camera and your dog (or other traveling companion), can certainly clear your mind and stir your creativity. So, here’s a few foodie places in the Historic town of Placerville…the city of my birth.

This is a fun and funky little eaterie.  There’s an old gold mine inside.

Another great little place to eat.  Pie heaven.

This charming little restaurant recently closed their doors as Cafe Luna, but have reopened as The Levee.  Yes!Chef! and I have this on our list of places to eat once we move. This place looks like a winner from reading their Facebook page.

We love this little olive oil store in town.  The olive oil is locally grown (olive trees) and made.  It comes in several flavors and you can buy a jug of it, which can be refilled when you run out.  Great place. These are by no means all that Placerville has to offer in the foodie/restaurant/winery category.  I will highlight more in another post or two.

I dropped by the grocery and was inspired to buy some Chicken Andouille Sausage, fresh and sweet red bell peppers, chopped green chilies and a bigger can of chopped tomatoes.  I also got cooked, peeled shrimp…playing it safely.

Here’s my revamped recipe:

Brazilian Shrimp and Andouille Sausage Stew

Makes about 4-6 servings

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs raw shrimp, peeled & deveined (or use cleaned shrimp, but remove the shell and tail…and feet.)
• 8 ounces cooked Andouille Sausage (I used chicken), sliced in 1/2″ chunks
• 3 tbsp. olive oil
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 sweet red pepper, diced
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped, plus a little more for garnish
• (1) 28 oz can diced tomatoes
• (1) 4 oz. can chopped green chilies
• 1 1/2 cups coconut milk
• 2 Tbsp. Sriracha hot sauce
• 2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• Heat 2 tbsp. olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat.
• Saute onions for several minutes until beginning to turn a little brown (caramelized) , then add the garlic, red pepper, and chilies and cook for several minutes more. Do not allow garlic to burn.
• Meanwhile heat 1 tbsp. olive oil in a non-stick skillet over medium heat.  Add sliced sausage and saute for a few minutes to brown the sausage. When brown, add to onion mixture in Dutch oven.
• Add the tomatoes, shrimp and cilantro to the Dutch Oven and simmer gently until the shrimp turns opaque.
• Add in the coconut milk and Sriracha and cook just until heated all the way through.  Do not allow to boil.
• Add lime juice and season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Serve hot in soup bowls and sprinkle a little chopped cilantro on top.  Add a lime wedge to the edge of the bowl in case your dining companions like a little more acid.

The soup is quite rich and you will probably not need anything else, except maybe a salad.  You can also throw in other cooked veggies like chopped green beans.  This is also a paleo recipe (lo carb), so you might pour over cooked rice or other grain if you want to add more carbs.

Enjoy!  And if you are driving by Placerville, take an hour or so to park your car in the big parking garage with 2 hours free parking and walk thru this quaint, historic gold mining town.