Shrimp Creole - LaMarr Hoyt (Pitcher)

RECIPE

1 1/2 lbs. raw shrimp, peeled
1 can tomato paste
1 pint tomatoes, large can
1/8 tsp. soda
1 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 cup celery, diced
1 medium onion
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1/2 cup green pepper, chopped
1 tblsp. salt
1 stick butter
3 whole bay leaves
1/2 cup water

Saute in 12" skillet, butter, onion, celery and green pepper for 5 min.  Add tomato paste, tomatoes, bay leaves, water and seasonings.  Cook 10 minutes covered. Add mushrooms, cook 10 more minutes.  Thicken with cornstarch if necessary.  Add shrimp and cook 5 minutes.  Remove bay leaves.  Serve over white rice.  Serves 4.  If you love shrimp, you'll love this! 

LaMarr Hoyt's 1983 was a career year not soon forgotten.  The big boy from South Carolina racked up 24 wins, a Game One win in the ALCS, and the Cy Young award.  Not too shabby for someone who was an unknown throw-in as part of the 1977 Oscar Gamble-Bucky Dent trade.

One look at burly, bearded Hoyt would tell you: "Here is a man who loves to eat.  Probably food that he tracked and killed himself.  It is highly likely that a pickup truck and some SKOAL were also involved at some point."

Hoyt did not offer up any wild game recipes for the 1983 White Sox cookbook, but this one for Shrimp Creole is classic southern cooking.  Easy, and damn tasty.  I liked it so much I adapted it for some leftover chicken the other day.  Once you have the rich red sauce going, you could probably throw in ham, sausage, pork, anything you like.  But the classic dish calls for shrimp.  As mentioned in the recipe, if you love shrimp, you will indeed love this.

There are two more recipes from Hoyt in this cookbook, so stay tuned for more.

FINAL SCORE - it's the Cy Young of shrimp dishes.  Yes!  These will always be corny!