Did you know that not everyone from Louisiana is a Cajun? True Cajuns are descendants of the French settlers of Acadia — known today as Nova Scotia, Canada — who the British exiled in the mid-1700s for not swearing a loyal oath to the Royal Crown of Britain. These French Acadians settled along the southern most areas of Louisiana, creating a diverse culture unlike any other.
My grandmother was a genuine Cajun, and I still hold many fond memories of her in my heart. I remember family visits in the bayous of Grand Isle and Dulac, as well as living with her in a stilted house in Terrebonne Parish. The thing I remember most, though, is that she cooked all day long. From the wee hours of the morning until bedtime, she would make the most amazing foods from homemade bread to gumbo to crab boils. Everything was always fresh and so tasty.
This recipe for Cajun shrimp and mushrooms is one of her creations, which she gave to my mother who then passed it down to me. It’s a simple shrimp dish all cooked in one pot with lots of mushrooms and tons of flavor.
This is super easy to make any day of the week, and it’s so good there is rarely a grain of rice or spot of sauce leftover. As my maw maw would say…
Come see, sha, and eat dis up!
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Worry-Free Cooking |
- If you don’t already have a rice cooker, I highly recommend you invest in one as soon as possible. These special cookers make perfectly cooked rice and other things like steamed veggies and mixed rice quick meals. Plus, it’ll save you lots of time in the kitchen. My rice cooker has a built-in warming feature, and it does an outstanding job every time.
- My trusty and favorite Classic Cajun Cookware works wonderfully for cooking the shrimps and mushrooms in this recipe. I use this pot all the time. It’s so versatile and cooks evenly every time.
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Menu Planning |
- It’s always easiest and best to make your rice a day ahead using a rice cooker with a warming feature. Leave it on the warming setting until ready to serve.
- Keep any leftover shrimp and mushroom sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. Pop in the microwave for a few minutes to warm.
- Complete your meal with a small side salad and some fresh, crusty French bread. Yummy!
- This is the perfect recipe when you have a lot of leftover rice. In just a few minutes, you can have a full-on tasty sauce to scoop over your rice. Voilà. A fresh new meal.
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Helping Hand |
- Any kind of rice will do; however, I’m a huge advocate of medium grain white rice. It cooks well in a rice cooker and is moister and more tender than others I’ve tried.
- I use canned mushrooms mostly because it’s easier. If you prefer fresh, use one cup of fresh sliced mushrooms instead.
- For simplicity and ease, use bottled spiced ginger —a staple in my fridge because it’s a handy, fresh-tasting alternative to fresh. If you prefer fresh ginger, go for it.
- I always recommend cleaning and deveining shrimp when cooking. It’s well worth the few extra minutes to devein because that vein is the shrimp’s digestive tract. When you see that dark colored strip on the shrimp’s back, it means it’s filled with grit and waste — yep, that means poop.
- Arrowroot, tapioca, and potato starch are good substitutes for cornstarch. I usually have all three on hand because they’re healthier choices. If using arrowroot or tapioca, you’ll want to increase the amount to two tablespoons.
- Make sure your sauce is thick enough to stick on the rice and not run off the plate. If the sauce is still runny after adding the first teaspoon of cornstarch mixture, you can add another teaspoon of the mixture until reaching a good gravy-like thickness.
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Grocery & Gourmet |
- I recommend medium grained rice like Nishiki Medium Grain or Botan Calrose. These are tender, tasty rice choices that cook fantastically in a rice cooker. This type of rice soaks up the sauce in this dish perfectly.
- Try using Bottled Minced Ginger for a handy, fresh-tasting alternative.
- There's always a bottle of hot sauce on every Cajun’s table. My favorite choice is Crystal Louisiana Hot Sauce for authentic Cajun flavors.
