In between his adventures hunting wild boar and exploring Louisiana's coasts for an episode of Bizarre Foods, Andrew Zimmern met up with Isaac Toups, a James Beard Award-nominated chef known for his twists on classic cajun cooking. Toups shared one of his favorite recipes, handed down by his grandmother, for a "couvillion," or a rich and brothy, tomato-based sauce served over rice. Here, Andrew simplifies the dish a bit, but takes no shortcuts with flavor or heat. See the video and instructions below to try for yourself. 

SERVES 6

INGREDIENTS

6 tablespoons vegetable oil
6 tablespoons flour
4 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (or more to taste)
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
1 onion, minced
1 red pepper, minced
3 ribs celery, minced
1 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
3 cups shellfish or fish stock
½ Serrano pepper, sliced
2 pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined
Cooked long grain rice, for serving
4 tablespoons scallions, minced

INSTRUCTIONS

Place the oil and flour in a large heavy stewing pot. Andrew likes to use his Le Creuset or Staub ironware for this.

Over low medium heat, cook the mixture until it turns into a rust colored roux, stirring every couple minutes for about 20 minutes total.

Add the cherry tomatoes and cook for another 15 to 20 minutes, or until the mixture is brick red in color, the tomatoes have disintegrated and the roux has turned into a thick paste.

Add the cayenne, garlic, thyme, onion, red pepper and celery. Stir and cook for 3 to 5 minutes. Add the wine, Worcestershire sauce and stock, and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook for 45 minutes.

Remove the cover, add the Serrano pepper and adjust sauce consistency. If it’s too thick add a few tablespoons of stock or water. Too thin, cook uncovered for a few minutes.

When sauce is right, lower heat to a bare simmer and add the shrimp, gently pushing them down into the sauce. Cook for 3 minutes and turn off the heat. Let sit for 5 minutes.

Place cooked long grain rice into bowls, and spoon the shrimp and sauce over the rice. Garnish with the scallions and serve.

Recipe compliments of Andrew Zimmern. Visit AndrewZimmern.com for more recipes like this.