Shrimp Remoulade (pronounced ruma-lahd) is a classic New Orleans dish composed of cold-boiled succulent shrimp with a spicy mustard-based dressing. It is generally served as a first-course appetizer, making it perfect for your mardi gras celebration or other special occasions.
I like to serve the Shrimp Remoulade on a bed of lettuce or in stemmed wine glasses with lemon slices to awaken my guest's taste buds.
Here's How I Boiled the Shrimp
Perfectly cooked shrimp defines the quality of Shrimp Remoulade. Translated, this means that you should never overcook the shrimp. If you do, overcooked shrimp will become tough and rubbery.
I always use head-on fresh shrimp from the local fish market on the Gulf Coast. The size that I buy really depends on what looks the freshest. Today, I bought the 10 to 15-count shrimp (10 to 15 shrimp per pound) because they looked the best.
- I started by cleaning and deveining the shrimp. Because I was making the Shrimp Remoulade, I left the tails on to make it easier to hold and dip.
- Next, I added an onion, stalk of celery, and lemon to a pot of water along with salt, paprika, hot sauce, and Worcestershire sauce.
I brought the water to a boil, reduced the heat, and let it simmer for about 15 minutes to allow the flavors to blend together
- Next, I brought the water to a boil again over high heat and added the shrimp. Once the water returned to a boil, I cooked the shrimp for two minutes.
- After two minutes, I drained the shrimp in a colander. I rinsed the shrimp in cold water and dumped them into a bowl of ice and water.
After the shrimp were thoroughly cooled, I drained them and patted them dry. I put the shrimp in the refrigerator until I was ready to assemble the Shrimp Remoulade.
Here's How I Made the Remoulade Sauce.
This quintessential New Orleans dish is generally a spicy mustard-based dressing. Therefore, you shouldn't be surprised to find that it contains both spicy ingredients and mustard.
- The Spicy Liquids: I used ketchup, creole mustard, peppered horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, and yellow mustard to add spice to the remoulade sauce.
- The Vegetables: For the vegetables, I used onions, celery, garlic, and green onions.
- The Seasonings: The seasonings were relatively simple - salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. I could have also used either Cajun seasonings or Creole seasoning here.
- The Rest of the Ingredients: Bring up the rear were vegetable oil and lemon juice.
I know that this sounds like a lot of ingredients. However, it's super easy to make the Remoulade sauce.
I added all of the ingredients to the bowl of my food processor fitted with a steel blade.
Then, I processed the Remoulade sauce for about 30 seconds until all of the ingredients were well combined and the vegetables nicely minced.
Finally, I transferred the spicy mixture to a non-reactive bowl, covered it, and put it in the refrigerator to allow the flavors to meld.
Serving the New Orleans Shrimp Remoulade
I made enough of the Shrimp Remoulade to serve as an appetizer for the Master Taste Tester's and my dinner and to serve as a shrimp remoulade salad along with crusty French bread for the Master Taste Tester's lunch the next day.
Both were amazing! Yum!
Frequently Asked Questions
Shrimp Remoulade is a great make-ahead dish since both the cold boiled shrimp and the remoulade sauce can be prepared in advance and refrigerated. The actual dish however, should be put together right before serving.
Other Mardi Gras Appetizers
New Orleans Shrimp Remoulade makes an awesome party fare for any of your Mardi Gras events. For other ideas, you should check out:
- Cajun Pork Boulettes with Spicy Dip – Cajun Pork Boulettes with Spicy Dip are an amazing appetizer. They are perfect for your Mardi Gras celebrations and are easy to put together, albeit a bit time-consuming.
- Classic Shrimp Cocktail – Ready in minutes and always a crowd pleaser, Classic Shrimp Cocktail is the perfect make-ahead appetizer for your next Mardi Gras or anytime gathering. It combines succulent boiled shrimp with a spicy tomato-based sauce for the ultimate blending of flavors.
- New Orleans Hurricane – Laissez les bons temps rouler with this iconic New Orleans cocktail.
- Cajun Sausage Bites with Spicy Dipping Sauce- If you’re looking for a perfect appetizer for your Mardi Gras themed party, look no further. Cajun Sausage Bites with Spicy Dipping Sauce are super easy to make, and are kicked up a notch to satisfy your cravings. Bet you can’t eat just one!
- Crispy Cajun Onion Strings with Spicy Dipping Sauce – Crispy Cajun Onion Strings with Spicy Dipping Sauce are as easy to make as they are addictive to eat. They are perfect with the New Orleans Hurricane!
- Layered Shrimp Cocktail Spread – If you like shrimp cocktail, you’ll absolutely love this New Orleans-inspired Layered Shrimp Cocktail Spread. It’s quick and easy to prepare, and tastes as good as it looks!
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Spicy New Orleans Shrimp Remoulade (Classic Appetizer)
Ingredients
Shrimp
- 2 pounds large head-on shrimp (10 to 15 count or 16 to 20 count) (See Tip 1)
- 1 ½ quarts water
- 1 onion, peeled and cut in half
- 1 stalk celery
- 1 lemon, cut in half
- 1 Tablespoon Kosher salt
- 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon Tabasco or hot sauce
Remoulade Sauce
- ¾ cup vegetable oil
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- ½ cup chopped onion
- ½ cup chopped green onions, white and green part
- ¼ cup chopped celery
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 2 Tablespoons prepared horseradish (See Tip 2)
- 3 Tablespoons Creole whole-grain mustard
- 3 Tablespoons prepared yellow mustard
- 3 Tablespoons ketchup
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Shrimp
- Remove shrimp heads and shells, leaving tails intact; devein. Bring water and seasonings to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes to meld the flavors. Return water to a boil. Add shrimp and return to a boil for 2 minutes. Drain, rinse in cold water, and pour into ice water to cool completely. Rinse well with cold water and drain. Pat shrimp dry with paper towels; refrigerate until ready to use. (See Tip 3)
Remoulade Sauce
- Combine all ingredients in a food processor bowl fitted with a steel blade. Process for 30 seconds or until well combined and vegetables are nicely minced. Store covered in a non-reactive bowl in the refrigerator. Yield: 3 cups. (See Tip 4)
Assembly
- To assemble, line a large red wine goblet with romaine lettuce. Place 6 to 8 shrimp around the rim of the glass (depending on the size of the shrimp), with the tails to the outside. Place a slice of lemon on the rim of the glass. May be made 1 hour before serving up to this point. Add Remoulade Sauce to the bed of lettuce. Alternatively, arrange shrimp on a bed of lettuce and spoon Remoulade Sauce over shrimp for a salad. Serves 6.
Tips/Notes
- I always use fresh, head-on shrimp because I feel that these are the freshest. When I clean the shrimp, I leave the tails on for both appearance and ease of grasping the shrimp. You could also use thawed frozen shrimp here for a salad with the shrimp placed on a bed of lettuce and the Remoulade sauce spooned over the shrimp.
- Use prepared horseradish, not horseradish sauce. You might think that they are the same, but they're not. Horseradish sauce includes prepared horseradish but combines it with different ingredients to produce a milder and creamier sauce.
- The shrimp can be prepared in advance and refrigerated until you are ready to serve this amazing appetizer.
- The remoulade sauce should be prepared in advance and refrigerated to allow the flavors to meld.
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