Commander’s Palace Shrimp & Tasso Henican:

MAKES 8 APPETIZER SERVINGS

24 Jumbo Shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 oz Tasso (or substitute ham; see note), cut into 24 1-inch strips
½ cup All-Purpose Flour
Creole Seafood Seasoning (or any Creole seasoning blend)
½ cup Vegetable Oil
¾ cup Crystal Hot Sauce Beurre Blanc
¾ cup Five-Pepper Jelly (recipe below or good store-bought)
12 Pickled Okra, sliced lengthwise

This spicy, crunchy, show-stopping shrimp dish is a modern Creole classic—and a guaranteed way to knock the socks off your guests. It’s bold, crowd-pleasing, and ready in minutes.

Cut a shallow incision along the back of each shrimp (where it was deveined) and tuck in a strip of tasso. Secure with a toothpick. Combine the flour and Creole seasoning and lightly dredge each shrimp.

Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Fry the shrimp for about 30 seconds per side until just firm and red-brown. Drain on paper towels, then toss in a bowl with Crystal Hot Sauce Beurre Blanc until coated. Remove the toothpicks.

To serve, spoon a bit of pepper jelly onto each plate. Arrange 3 shrimp per plate, alternating with pickled okra.

Note: Tasso is a spiced, smoked ham used widely in Louisiana cooking. If unavailable, substitute 1 oz of ham cut into 1-inch strips and tossed with 1 part cayenne to 3 parts paprika.

Five-Pepper Jelly

MAKES 2 CUPS

1½ cups Light Corn Syrup
1¼ cups White Vinegar
½ tsp Red Pepper Flakes
Kosher Salt and Black Pepper to taste
1 each Red, Yellow, and Green Bell Pepper, finely diced
4 Jalapeños, seeds and membranes removed, finely diced

Place corn syrup, vinegar, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper in a small saucepan. Simmer until reduced by two-thirds—it should thicken noticeably.

In a separate dry skillet, sauté all the peppers until just tender and vibrant, about 30 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, transfer them to the syrup mixture and stir to combine.

Let cool. Store in the fridge. Also excellent on toast or as a glaze for roast chicken.