Name: Zephyr Wright–Inspired Shrimp Curry
Total time: 35 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 cup boiling water; 1 chicken bouillon cube; 2 pounds extra-large shrimp (21 to 25 per pound), peeled, deveined, and tails removed; 1 teaspoon table salt , divided; ¼ teaspoon pepper; 2 tablespoons unsalted butter; 1 small onion , chopped fine; 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour; 1½ teaspoons curry powder; ½ teaspoon sugar; ½ teaspoon ground ginger; 1 cup whole milk; 2 teaspoons lemon juice

Why This Recipe Works

Zephyr Wright was a Black woman who cooked for Lyndon B. Johnson and his family during a large chunk of his political career. This recipe is inspired by her recipe for shrimp curry. Making a béchamel sauce with butter, flour, curry powder, milk, and a mixture of bouillon and water gave this curry a flavorful yet creamy sauce base. Cooking the shrimp directly in the sauce for just a few minutes kept the dish easy since it used only one pan. And finishing with 2 teaspoons of lemon juice added a nice hit of acidity for a simple yet comforting and deeply satisfying meal.

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Before You Begin

We developed this recipe using Wyler's Instant Bouillon. If preferred, you can substitute 1 cup of chicken broth for the boiling water and chicken bouillon cube (omit step 1). Serve over white rice.

Instructions

Combine boiling water and bouillon cube in liquid measuring cup and stir to dissolve bouillon; set aside.

Sprinkle shrimp with ½ teaspoon salt and pepper. Melt butter in 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add onion and remaining ½ teaspoon salt and cook until onion is softened, about 5 minutes.

Stir in flour, curry powder, sugar, and ginger and cook for 1 minute. Add milk and reserved bouillon mixture and bring to simmer. Add shrimp and cook, stirring occasionally, until shrimp are opaque and just cooked through, 2 to 4 minutes. Off heat, stir in lemon juice and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.