Dining with Disney: The Princess & the Frog: New Orleans BBQ Shrimp

As I've mention in a past post, I love themes. Be it a holiday, a sports event or a movie, I love coming up with dishes that pair with the theme. My favorite pairing is Dinner & a Movie. I'm a big movie buff and a big foodie so this dynamic duo is always a blast to do! On top of being a big foodie and movie buff; I'm a big Disney fan. Lucky for me so is my husband, otherwise I'd drive him mad. Over the years we've collected the many Disney animated films. Unfortunately my hubby hasn't had the time to watch a few of them. So I took the opportunity to line up those films and make dinner menus for each one. I was so excited!! I couldn't wait to start! But why just do those films, why not all our Disney favorites!? So, this post will beginning a periodically series of posts I loving call Dining with Disney.  Tonight's film is "The Princess and the Frog".  New Orleans theme here we come!!!

The thing I love best about this Disney film is that food plays a major role in Tiana's life, the princess in the story. Her dream is to open a restaurant. A restuarant that her daddy dreamed about opening himself but just wasn't able too. It just a sweet back story.

Now New Orleans cuisine has a reputation about being spicy. My husband doesn't do spicy so I had to figure out a dish that wouldn't burn his taste buds. Enter New Orleans BBQ Shrimp. As I was reading up on New Orleans BBQ Shrimp, I came to learn that it has nothing to do with barbeque sauce or the the grill. Not your typical BBQ. It's main flavors come from Worcestershire sauce, lemon, creole seasoning and lots of butter. There was even one recipe calling for 3 sticks of butter for 1 lb of jumbo shrimp!!!  I'm not using that much butter, just because it's just too much to think about, but I bet it tastes crazy good! I melded together two of New Orleans' top chefs' recipes, Chef John Besh & Chef Emeril Lagasse. I took their recipes and made it one. For the most part the ingredients and the technique were similar, but each added an ingredient that the other didn't, so I took and omitted a thing or two and let me tell you it made a wonderful dish!! The sauce alone is outstanding!! All the flavors meld together and don't fight for attention, very well balanced. 

I served up the shrimp with baked potato for hubby & mash potato for me. But shrimp wasn't alone on the menu, oh no! I made a southern style appetizer & dessert!

Here is my menu:

The Princess & the Frog Dinner Menu

Appetizer- Mini Pimento Cheese Grilled Sandwiches

Main Dish - BBQ Shrimp

Dessert - Beignets




It was a great night of cooking, eating and quality time. Can't wait for the next movie night!!!!!

Buen Provecho!! 

Peel and devein shrimp, reserved shells. Season with Creole seasoning.

Use your hands. Make sure every shrimp is covered.

Begin with sauce base, add oil, saute onions and garlic

Saute until shells turn pink.

Add Worcestershire sauce,

Remaining Creole seasoning,

cloves,

bay leaves,

lemon juice,

and the lemon. Why not?! Extra flavor! My added touch.

Bring to boil then simmer, reduce until half. Strain.

Press down to get all the sauce.

I got 1 cup. You can get up to 1 1/2 cups of sauce.

Shrimp time! Add shrimp, sauce base,

BUTTER,

and heavy cream. Bring sauce to a boil, simmer for about 5 minutes or until shrimp turn pink.

All done! Beautifully cooked. Be careful not to over cook.

My dish. Mash potato on bottom topped with shrimp & sauce. LOVE THIS!!!

Hubby's plate.

Simply good eats!

 New Orleans BBQ Shrimp - 4 appetizer or 2 entree servings

For the Sauce Base

1-2 tbsp olive oil
Shrimp shells from the 2lbs of shrimp
2 tbsp Creole seasoning
1/4 of a chopped onion
1-2 garlic cloves, grated, minced
1/2 cup Worcestershire
1/2 tsp whole cloves
2  bay leaves
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tbsp black pepper
2 cups of water

For Shrimp

2 pounds of large shrimp, peeled and deveined (reserve shrimp shells for sauce base)
1 tbsp Creole seasoning
1 cup of sauce base
1 stick of butter
1 cup heavy cream

Roadmap:

1. Peel the shrimp, leaving only their tails attached. Reserve the shells and set aside. Sprinkle the shrimp with 1 tablespoon Creole seasoning and coat shrimp. Refrigerate the shrimp while you make the sauce base.

2. For the sauce base, heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over high heat, add chopped onions and garlic and saute for about a minute. Add the reserved shrimp heads/shells and saute for about a minute, allowing the shells to turn pink. 

3.  Add the Worcestershire, black pepper, Creole seasoning, cloves, bay leaves, and lemon juice,  along with 2 cups water and bring to a boil. Once the liquid is boiling, reduce heat to moderate and simmer until it has reduced by half. Strain and reserve. There should be about  1 - 1 1/2cups.

3. Put the shrimp and the sauce base, cream, and butter in a large skillet over high heat. Bring the sauce to a boil and cook for 5 minutes or until shrimp is pink.

4. Remove the shrimp from the skillet and arrange on a platter or in individual bowls. Reduce the sauce by half. Pour the sauce over the shrimp. Enjoy!!!

Beignets

Beignets. What's better than a piece of fried dough doused in powered sugar? Nothing! I haven't have the pleasure to go visit the Big Easy, but I'm longing to go there. I want to visit the French Quarter, go to jazz clubs and do all the touristy things. But I especially want to eat, eat, eat and did I mention EAT! Until I get the chance to spend time in New Orleans I have to travel through its' food, hooray for Beignets.

Beignets are a yeast doughnut so time is essential. There are 2 proofing times so clear your morning.

Let's talk toppings! Traditional topping for beignets is powdered sugar, but I went a little Voodoo Doughnut in the toppings. Voodoo Doughnut is a bakery in Portland, Oregon known for unique toppings, like captain crunch cereal and bacon. I went the bacon route. I made a trio of beignets. One traditional, one with maple icing & bacon and one with Nutella. Beignets are wonderful blank canvas that allow the imagination to soar! Maybe next I'll make jelly beignets!!

Buen Provecho!!

 

Warm water (100-110F), packet of yeast & sugar

Let it active, about 5 minutes.

Once activated add lemon zest

.......grated nutmeg

..... a 3/4 tsp of salt

and 1 egg.

Pour yeast mixture into a bigger bowl, add milk and  half the flour.

Mix well.

Add softened butter.

Smash on the side of the bowl to help incorporate into the mixture.

Add  rest of the flour, mix until dough ball forms.

Start kneading.

knead with heel of hand.

Fold

push forward.

In about 5 minutes you get this!

Place in an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Put in a warm spot for 1 hr.

An hour later it's doubled in size.

This part is fun! Give it 1 good punch.

This redistributes the yeast.

Time to roll out!

Nice and long

about 1/2 inch thick

Cut off edges to get a nice rectangle.

I'm a nerd. I measured out 2 inches long...

And 2 inches wide.

Traditional beignet shape!

Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment for a 2nd rise. Rise for 30 minutes.

Ready to fry!

As they fry they puff up.

Nice and golden brown

Powdered Sugar

Nutella

Maple Bacon

Ready to eat!

Beignet - yields 20-25, depending on size

Ingredients:

1 1/4-ounce envelope active dry yeast
3/4 cup warm water, about 100-110ºF
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 large egg
1/2 cup whole milk
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
Oil fro frying

Toppings:

Powdered Sugar
Nutella
Bacon
Maple Icing- 1 cup powdered sugar, 1-2 drops maple extract & 1-2 tbsp milk. 

 Note: If you don't have a thermometer to test the oil, you can place a wooden spoon or chopstick into the oil. If bubbles rapidly form around the wooden spoon, your oil is ready.


Roadmap:

1.Mix the yeast, water, and sugar into a  bowl.  Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Add the salt, lemon zest, nutmeg and egg, mix.

2.  Pour yeast mixture into a large bowl. Add milk and half the flour. Mix.

3. Add softened butter. Smash against side of bowl to help incorporate into mixture.

4. Add the remaining flour. Mix until dough forms.

5.  Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead by hand until dough is smooth, about 5 minutes.

6. Place dough in lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let stand in a warm, draft-free spot until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

7. Once doubled, punch down dough. Remove dough from bowl on a lightly floured surface and rolled out to 1/2 inch thick. Cut out squares or desired shape. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet, spritz with Pam to prevent sticking and cover loosely with plastic wrap, for 30 minutes, allow them to rise a 2nd time.

8. . Heat oil to 350F. Fry the beignets in batches, rolling with a slotted spoon, until golden brown.  Remove with the slotted spoon and place on a plate lined with paper towels. Top as desired. Enjoy!

Freezer: These beignet can be frozen and thawed out later to fry. After you cut them into shapes, before the 2nd rise,  place them on a parchment lined baking sheet, spritz some Pam to prevent sticking, cover with plastic wrap. Place in freezer for about 1-2 hours or until completely frozen. Once frozen,  place in a labeled & dated freezer bag and store. To cook, thaw the beignets on a parchment lined baking sheet covered with plastic wrap for 1 hour, for the 2nd rise. Then fry as normal.