Shrimp DeJonghe
Shrimp DeJonghe, a specialty of Chicago, is a casserole of whole peeled shrimp blanketed in soft, garlicky, sherry-laced bread crumbs. It can be served as an appetizer or a main course. This buttery, herbed casserole is one of the earliest Windy City specialties.
Shrimp DeJonghe originated in the late 19th or early 20th century at DeJonghe’s Hotel and Restaurant, 12 E. Monroe St. (1899–1923). The owners, brothers Henri, Pierre and Charles DeJonghe, were Belgian immigrants who came to Chicago in 1893 to run a restaurant at the World’s Columbian Exposition. This massive fair was to prove a high-visibility venue for the introduction of many innovative foods, including Hershey bars and the all-American hamburger. After their success at the Exposition, the brothers in 1899 went on to open the DeJonghe Hotel and Restaurant. In those relatively early days of Chicago dining, just a few decades after the Great Fire, standalone restaurants were not yet a “thing,” and hotels were frequently where people went to dine out.
Until it was closed in the 1930s for violating Prohibition, de Jonghe's was one of Chicago's premier eateries, celebrated for the winning ways of its chef, Emil Zehr. No one seems to know whether it was chef Emil or proprietor Henri de Jonghe who invented the magnificent casserole that now bears the family name. Whoever did it deserves credit for a meal that has become one of the outstanding luxuries of Chicago cooking.
Genuine de Jonghe, which is nothing but shrimp and moist, odoriferous breadcrumbs, is so elementary it can be eaten with a spoon; that simplicity is what makes it such a sensuous pleasure. The dish is made with shrimp, breadcrumbs, garlic, sherry or wine, butter and maybe cream, lemon juice, salt, and some spices like tarragon and marjoram. Different restaurants prepare it differently, and the essential ingredients seem to be the shrimp, breadcrumbs, and garlic; after that, chefs modify this casserole at will.
Because this is so unbelievably rich, Shrimp de Jonghe doesn’t want much in the way of accompaniment. A simple salad with a vinaigrette or a plain-but-perfect green vegetable along with enough crusty bread to sop up all the sauce will be perfect!
Shrimp De Jonghe
From Cook's Country February/March 2016
We kept the important things in this Chicago classic—tender shrimp, buttery bread crumbs, and the urge to go back for seconds.
We wanted a shrimp casserole recipe that gave us flavorful and tender—not bland and rubbery—shrimp. We started by quickly sautéing garlic, shallot, and paprika together until fragrant and then splashed a bit of sherry into the pan. We then tossed some raw shrimp into this potent mixture of aromatics, shingled the shrimp in a casserole dish, and topped it with buttery herbed panko bread crumbs.
Topping:
1 cup panko bread crumbs, toasted
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened (8 tablespoons unsalted butter total for the recipe)
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
1/4 cup minced fresh chives
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest plus 2 tablespoons juice
Salt and pepper
Pinch ground nutmeg
Shrimp:
1 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 pounds jumbo shrimp (16 to 20 per pound), peeled, deveined, and tails removed
1 shallot, minced
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 cup dry sherry
Lemon wedges
INSTRUCTIONS
Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Using your fingers, combine panko, 7 tablespoons butter, parsley, chives, lemon zest, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and nutmeg in medium bowl; set aside.
Pat shrimp dry with paper towels and transfer to large bowl.
Melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallot, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Add garlic, paprika, and cayenne and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add sherry and lemon juice and bring to simmer, scraping up any browned bits. Continue to simmer until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes; transfer to bowl with shrimp and toss until shrimp are well coated.
Shingle shrimp in 13 by 9-inch baking dish. Scrape any remaining garlic mixture from bowl over shrimp. Sprinkle panko mixture over shrimp. Bake until shrimp are pink and mixture is bubbling around edges, 15 to 17 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes and serve with lemon wedges.
SERVES 4
