Recipes–Spicy Shrimp And Rice Low Country Style

Low Country Boil is a specialty of coastal South Carolina and Georgia.  It is a combination of shrimp, sausage, corn, and potatoes and is delicious.  The shrimp are boiled in a spice which is very similar to Old Bay, commonly found around the Chesapeake and DC area.

I was inspired by Low Country Boil for this recipe, particularly the use of the spice to marinate the shrimp and as a key ingredient for the sauce.  I use a mix of Old Bay, Cajun, and Low Country Boil spices for this recipe; but if you cannot find the Low Country spices, the Old Bay and Cajun mix will be fine. 

The trick of this recipe is the reduced shrimp liquid.  It suffuses the rice and other ingredients, and every bite has a full shrimp flavor. .

Spicy Shrimp With Rice Low Country Style

* 1/2 lb. large shrimp, shells on

* 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped

* 4 lg. cloves garlic, chopped

* 1 med. onion, chopped

* 1 cup (approx.) loosely packed fresh basil leaves

* 3 lg. sprigs parsley

* 4 tsp. each Old Bay and Cajun spice (Low Country Boil spice optional)

* 1 cup rice (Jasmine, Basmati, etc.)

* 3 Tbsp. olive oil

- Place shrimp in a large mixing bowl, sprinkle spices liberally, add 1 Tbsp. olive oil and mix well.  Marinate for at least an hour, but 3-4 hours in the fridge would be better

- Cook the rice, and let cool at room temperature for at least 3 hours

- After marinating, add the shrimp to a very hot iron skillet, and cook for approximately 5 minutes, turning frequently.

- When shrimp are done, let cool, remove the shells, and place the shells in a saucepan.

- Cover with water (1” above shells), stir, bring to a low boil and let boil until the liquid is reduced to approximately 1/2 cup

- Strain the shrimp water into a container, discard the shells

- Sauté the garlic until done; add the basil, parsley, onion, and red pepper and sauté over medium heat until the peppers are beginning to soften

- Add the shrimp liquid, stir, and let simmer for about 20 minutes or until the liquid has been reduced by half.

- When the sauce has been reduced, cut the shrimp into 1” pieces (approx.) and add to the sauce

- Add the cooled rice, mix well, reheat over low heat and serve.