Fried green tomatoes, topped with shrimp in a fresh tomato basil cream sauce.
Fried Green Tomatoes with Shrimp and Tomato Basil Cream Sauce
Recently, I was watching a feature on our local TV channel, where a local restaurant (now closed), was featured. They showed an appetizer dish from their menu, of fried green tomatoes with shrimp, in a tomato basil cream sauce. Well, it looked so good, I knew I had to make my own version of it. I don't know if this is anything like what they have on their menu, but it sure is mighty good and makes a fantastic main dish too.
We're winding down on tomato season already here in the Deep South, and this is a chance to enjoy both green and red tomatoes in one dish. This sauce is excellent served with pasta, crab would be great too, but if you're not a big fan of seafood, it's perfect with Italian sausage too.
I've included the fried green tomato recipe that I posted last week when I wanted something sturdier than my usual cornmeal version, though if you already have a favorite way of making them, certainly use that. Save the larger shrimp for frying, stuffing, or for New Orleans style BBQ shrimp though, and use the less expensive, smaller sized shrimp for this dish. I had picked out some of the smaller shrimp from some leftover boiled shrimp.
Here's what you'll need to make my Fried Green Tomatoes with Shrimp and Tomato Basil Cream Sauce:
For the Shrimp Sauce:
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 2 cups peeled and chopped tomatoes, juices retained
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper, or to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning, or to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon Creole or Cajun seasoning, or to taste, optional
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar, optional
- 1 tablespoon fresh, chopped parsley
- 1 tablespoon fresh, chopped basil
- 1-pound small shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
For the Fried Green Tomatoes:
- 3 medium sized green tomatoes
- Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
- 1/4 cup milk or buttermilk
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup self-rising flour
- 1/4 cup all-purpose cornmeal
- 1/4 cup cracker crumbs
- 1/4 teaspoon Creole or Cajun seasoning, or to taste, optional
- Cooking oil (Vegetable, corn, canola) for frying
For the sauce, melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook just until translucent, then add the garlic and cook another minute.
Add the tomatoes with their juices, salt, pepper, Old Bay, Creole or Cajun seasoning, sugar, parsley and basil. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 25 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings.
Stir in the shrimp and cook until shrimp turns pink.
Add cream.
Blend in until thoroughly incorporated.
Heat through and hold over low until tomatoes are done. Doesn't that sauce just look fabulous? By the way, it's quite good with pasta too!
Prepare the fried green tomatoes using your method or the one included in my recipe below, plate and spoon sauce over the tomatoes.
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