Recipes - Casserole Creamy Shrimp with Buttery Crumbs

Crawdad or Shrimp Casserole - Cracker Crumb Topping

 Ingredients

2 pds medium shrimp or crawdads, shelled - deveined, shells reserved
3 cups cream - heavy
1/4 cup sherry - dry
Salt - pinch
5 tablespoonfull butter unsalted, 4 tablespoonfull melted
6 medium scallions, minced white and tender green parts
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Fresh ground pepper
Hot sauce -
4 cups small oyster crackers
1/4 teaspoon sweet paprika

Directions

-Use butter to grease a 3 1/2-quart shallow glass baking dish. Arrange shrimp in baking dish in a single layer.
-Cover and refrigerate.
-In medium saucepan, combine cream and sherry with shrimp shells.
-Add a pinch of salt and bring to a boil.
-Simmer over moderate low heat for 25 min; strain through coarse sieve measure out 2 1/2 cups.
-Preheat oven to 400°. Melt 1 tablespoonfull of butter in a medium skillet.
-Add scallions and cook over moderate heat, stirring for 2 to 3 minutes.
-Add shrimp cream and simmer until reduced to 2 cups, which takes about 5 minutes.
-Pour the cream into a bowl then stir in lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce.
-Season with salt, pepper and hot sauce; let cool.
-Apply Salt and Pepper to taste on the shrimp. Spread the cream over the shellfish..
-Crush the oyster crackers until coarse crumbs form.
-Transfer to a medium bowl.
-Add 4 tablespoons of melted butter, paprika and stir to coat.
-Scatter the oyster cracker crumbs over the shrimp, pat to smooth.
-Bake casserole in the center of oven for 25 minutes
-Remove from the oven.
-Preheat the broiler.
-Broil the casserole for 30 seconds, rotating as necessary, until top is browned evenly..
-Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

This casserole can be prepared  and refrigerated overnight with baking and broiling all that is left to be done.