Consider shrimp. As anyone knows from watching Forrest Gump, there are a zillion things you can do with it. You can barbecue it, boil it, bake it, sauté it. You can turn it into soup, burgers, sandwiches and stews. We could go on.
But with the PGA Tour moving from the Midwest to Memphis this week, we’d like to focus on a preparation that Forrest’s buddy, Bubba Blue, doesn’t mention in the movie. We’re talking Creole Shrimp Fries, a favorite on the clubhouse menu at TPC Southwind, host of the 2020 WGC-Fed-Ex St. Jude Invitational.
Over the past year, the tournament layout at TPC Southwind has undergone a number of enhancements, including tree removals, shifted fairway landing areas and renovations to every bunker on the course. But the Creole Shrimp Fries have not been altered. There was no need.
As dreamed up by Executive Chef Tom Hughes and his team, the dish starts out with its star shellfish ingredient sautéed in a piquant mix of cayenne pepper, garlic, Creole blackening seasoning and other spices. Out go the shrimp, and into the pan goes a splash of white wine for deglazing, followed by a cornstarch slurry and heavy cream.
Once the sauce has had a chance to simmer and thicken, back in go the shrimp to be tossed and coated, and then the crowning garnish: a snowfall of shredded Parmesan cheese. It isn’t quite done yet. That lively, creamy, shrimpy concoction gets plated on a pile of golden French fries, a base of starchy goodness to balance it all out.
There are many other ways you can whip up shrimp, but we challenge you to find one better than this.
