Shrimp with Mashed Sweet Potatoes and Andouille Cream

Hooray for Mardi Gras bringing us another Southern meal tonight! I love the spicy, rich flavours of the South and am totally getting into this week. This recipe came to me via the blog Our Life in Food, the tales of Carrie and B, a married couple who love all things food, beer & wine. That and they're Red Wings fans which makes them ok by Wil. I was suckered into this recipe by the gorgeous photo they had posted: the warm colours of the sweet potatoes and the perfectly cooked shrimp perched on top, with that creamy sauce just bathing them nicely. I also know my husband is a big shrimp (or prawns if you're from my part of the world) fan so I knew he would be keen on this one.  I didn't have Cajun or Cajun blackening seasoning so had to make do with a spice mix of my own making, I used this recipe for simple Cajun seasoning and this one for the blackening seasoning. Of course I didn't use quite the same quantities that these sites recommend, but then I only needed enough for tonight - it's St. Patrick's Day tomorrow so we need move to on from Louisiana and head towards the Emerald Isle. 

This dish was amazingly delicious but oh so rich! It was super creamy and super decadent and my belly ached from fullness and yet I couldn't stop eating. The fire of the shrimp was enhanced by the kick in the Andouille cream, and barely offset by the sweetness of the sweet potato mash. I'm pretty sure it would be the perfect dish, if only in slightly smaller portions and with some kind of tart green on the side.  I'll work on that for next time. 
 

Source: Adapted from Antony Field via Food Network

Sweet Potatoes
2 sweet potatoes
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Kosher salt and black pepper

Bake the potatoes at 350 degrees until tender, about an hour. Remove the skins from the potatoes. Place them in a small sauce pan, and then add the butter, cinnamon, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix well to combine. Keep warm over low heat.

Andouille Cream
Extra virgin olive oil
3 slices onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 link andouille sausage, finely diced
1/4 teaspoon ground thyme
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon cajun seasoning
1 tablespoon butter

Add a drizzle of olive oil to a sauce pan. Add the onions, and cook until softened. Add the garlic, and cook for an additional minute. Add the sausage and thyme, and cook for a few minutes more. Add the cream, and bring to a low simmer. Cook until reduced by half and thickened. Add the cajun seasoning and butter. Keep warm over low heat.

Shrimp
Extra virgin olive oil
Butter
1 lb shrimp, peeled, deveined, and tails removed
Cajun blackening seasoning
Kosher salt

Place the shrimp in a bowl, and coat completely in blackening seasoning. Sprinkle with Kosher salt.

Heat a drizzle of olive oil and a pat of butter in a saute pan. Add the shrimp, and saute until just cooked through, about 3-4 minutes.  Serve the sweet potatoes topped with the cream and shrimp.