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Louisiana Shrimps
Brown a small onion, chopped fine, in 2 tablespoons margarine till soft. Place in double boiler with drained and shredded cooked shrimps (remove black vein from each). When heated, add 2/3 cup cream, 2/3 cup hot boiled rice and seasonings. Cook in double boiler half hour, then add 3 tablespoons strained tomato puree. Serve on buttered toast, cut in strips or fancy shapes.
A chafing-dish style supper from the era when Sunday night meant something light made in a double boiler and served on toast. The method needs one adjustment and one guess at quantity.
- The shrimp quantity is missingNo weight or measure is given for the cooked shrimp. For the 2/3 cup each of cream and rice specified here, about 3/4 lb of cooked peeled shrimp makes four modest servings; buying in the shell, allow appreciably more, since shell-on shrimp lose roughly half their weight once cooked and peeled.
- Half an hour will ruin the shrimpCooked shrimp held for thirty minutes, even over water, turn tight and cottony. Build the cream, rice and seasoning base in the double boiler for the half hour, stir in the tomato puree, then fold the shrimp in for the last two or three minutes only.
- MargarineMargarine of this period was a firm, bland block, made variously from animal fats, coconut oil or vegetable oils depending on the maker. Butter gives a better result and 2 tablespoons is the right amount either way.
- CreamBest read as heavy or whipping cream, though period recipes often meant thinner 'coffee' cream. Anything lighter will thin out as the rice swells and may break when the acidic tomato puree goes in.
- Strained tomato pureePlain canned tomato puree or passata, not tomato sauce or paste. It goes in at the end so the acid has no chance to curdle the cream over long heat.
- SeasoningsThe book leaves these open, which was common shorthand. Salt, white pepper and a little cayenne suit the dish; a dash of paprika mainly adds colour.
- The black veinThe recipe calls for it, and deveining is still worth doing on large shrimp for grit and appearance. On small shrimp it is largely a matter of preference.
- ToastCut the strips or shapes and butter them just before serving. Toast holds under a creamed mixture for only a few minutes before it goes to paste.