Growing up with a mother from New Iberia, La and Beaumont, Tx., you just know we always had something cooking that was yum yum. My mother was Mrs. Jackie duPerier and she was some kind of cook. Every meal she prepared for us was done so with patience and love. She believed that meals were supposed to be prepared by using the freshest ingredients and some of the best Alabama wild shrimp. I remember the days when we would get hundreds of pounds of fresh Alabama Gulf Shrimp in and the work began. We sat there for hours, deheading these shrimp to be put up in the freezer to be eaten at a later time. We always kept some out for some fresh Shrimp Creole for that evening.
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the flour and stir it on medium heat until the flour is browned. We call that a roux. Add bell pepper, onion, garlic, parsley, cayenne pepper, black pepper and salt.
Simmer on medium heat until the onions are limp and almost clear looking. Add the 2 cups of fresh Alabama wild shrimp and stir until they become pink looking and their tails curl up.
Add the tomato paste, tomato sauce and water. Simmer for about 20 minutes on a low heat.
Serve over a bed of rice. This recipe serves 3 to 4 people. You may double quantities at any time to be able to serve more people.