Shrimp Remoulade (pronounced ruma-lahd) is a quintessential New Orleans dish composed of cold boiled shrimp with a spicy mustard-based dressing. It is generally served as a first course appetizer, making it perfect for Mardi Gras celebrations. I usually serve it on a bed of lettuce or in a stemmed wine glass to awaken my guest’s taste buds.
Boiling the Shrimp
Perfectly cooked shrimp defines the quality of Shrimp Remoulade. Translated, this means that you should never overcook the shrimp. If you do, the shrimp will become tough and rubbery.
I always use fresh head-on shrimp from the local fish market. 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 Shrimp Remoulade, I left the tails on to make it easier to hold and dip. Then, 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 meld the flavors. Next, I brought the water to a boil again over high heat, and added the shrimp.
Once the water had returned to a boil, I cooked the shrimp for two minutes. After two minutes, I drained the shrimp in a colander. I rinsed them in cold water, and dumped them in a bowl with ice and water. After the shrimp were thoroughly cooled, I drained them, patted them dry and put them in the refrigerator.
Making the Remoulade Sauce
New Orleans Remoulade is generally a spicy mustard-based sauce. Therefore, you shouldn’t be surprised to find that it contains both spicy ingredients and mustard.
Specifically, I used the following ingredients: Vegetable oil, lemon juice, Creole mustard, yellow mustard, prepared horseradish (not creamy horseradish), ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, onions, celery, green onions, garlic, salt, cayenne pepper, and freshly ground black pepper. You can easily adjust how spicy the Remoulade sauce is by adding more or less horseradish and/or leaving out the cayenne pepper. The Master Taste Tester likes the sauce spicy, so I used all of the horseradish and cayenne pepper.
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 it 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 light salad for the Master Taste Tester’s lunch the next day. Both were amazing! Yum!
Chula’s Expert Tips
- 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 much 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.
Other Mardi Gras Appetizers
New Orleans Shrimp Remoulade make 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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New Orleans Shrimp Remoulade
Ingredients
Shrimp
- 2 pounds large head-on shrimp (10 to 15 count or 16 to 20 count) (See Tip 1)
- 1 1/2 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
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon Tabasco or hot sauce
Remoulade Sauce
- 3/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 1/2 cup chopped green onions, white and green part
- 1/4 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
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Shrimp
- Remove shrimp heads and shells, leaving tails in-tact; 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 towel; refrigerate until ready to use. (See Tip 3)
Remoulade Sauce
- Combine all ingredients in bowl of food processor fitted with steel blade. Process 30 seconds or until well combined and vegetables are nicely minced. Store covered in non-reactive bowl in 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 rim of glass. May be made 1 hour before serving up to this point. Add Remoulade Sauce to bed of lettuce. Alternatively, arrange shrimp on bed of lettuce and spoon Remoulade Sauce over shrimp for a salad. Serves 6.
Chula's Expert Tips
- 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 much 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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