Super Shrimp de Jonghe

--Tailgatin' and how to make mofos start playa hatin' (Recipes)

Chicago has many different original dishes that were created in the city. Shrimp de jonghe might not be as well known amongst 20/30 somethings as beef and pizza but its a classic Chicago dish that needs to return to some menus around town. In fact its Chicago's oldest delicacy and is said to have been concocted by two Belgian immigrants that owned the DeJonghe's Hotel and Restaurant that rested at 12 E. Monroe St from 1899-1923. There is something really special about shrimp blanketed in garlic, butter, parsley, sherry and bread crumbs. Its a dish I have been eating since I have been on this earth. My uncle makes a killer de jonghe and he was happy to show me the art of this lost Chicago dish. Its also perfect during the wintertime and a sure hit for your super bowl party.

Uncle Richard's Shrimp de Jonghe

2 lbs shelled shrimp
1 stalk of flat leaf parsley (leaves chopped from stalk)
1 entire bulb of garlic (8-10 cloves)
1.5 cups of bread crumbs
3 sticks of butter
1 cup of dry sherry
salt, pepper and red pepper flakes
grated Parmesan

~add everything but the shrimp and cheese to a cuisinart and blend it into a paste like this.



~Take a large baking dish or single baking instruments such as these seashells that we used. Fill the shells or dish with the shrimp or a few on each individual serving and pack the blended paste tightly around the shrimp making sure there are no air holes. If using individual serving then place them on a baking trey.





~sprinkle the Parmesan on top of each serving



~Bake at at 350 for 10-12 minutes or until they look like this.






This is a great super bowl party food. Goes great with beer.

Five Cheese Garlic Spread from River Valley Ranch

In a little town called Burlington in Southeast Wisconsin (about 1.5 from Chicago) there is a mushroom farm called River Valley Ranch that produces mushrooms and canned goods. In fact it wasn't until they started the canned good business that they started turning a profit and were able to make a living harvesting mushrooms. Check out the website for all they have to offer which is a whole lot.

RVR is the oldest mushroom farm in the Midwest. Dating back two generations to '76, they grow all sorts of mushrooms at the farm and sell them fresh at the country store located on the farm. I'm sure that many people have seen them at various farmer markets throughout Chicagoland. With all the mushrooms grown, they have to put them to use in ways other than fresh picked and they do that by offering all sorts of wonderful pasta sauces, dips and pickled relishes but there most amazing product doesn't even include mushrooms, its a garlic five cheese spread (hey this is a mushroom farm in Wisconsin) that is the best condiment from the state of Wisconsin. You can buy the spread at the green City farmers market in Chicago and they also carry it at various Sam's wine & spirit stores throughout Chicagoland. One day I decided to make a Wisconsin style de jonghe.

KingT's Wisconsin Style De Jonghe

The Stock

-shrimp shells
-2 cans of Wisconsin beer such as high life
-1/2 stick of butter
-celery stalk chopped into 3 pieces
-1/2 onion chopped a few times

Shrimp De Jonghe

-1 lb gulf shrimp with shells 12-15 count or larger
-2 sticks of butter
-1/3 cup of RVR five cheese garlic spread
-Bread crumbs or crushed ritz crackers

~preheat the oven to 450

~Boil the stock for 15 minutes and then drain it into a bowl and remove the shells/veggies and return stock to pot.

~Bring beer stock to a boil and add the half stick of butter. When beer is boiling add the shrimp and poach them for 2 minutes until just pink. Remove shrimp and wash with cold water and set aside.

~Melt stick of butter and layer the bottom of a baking dish with the butter and toss shrimp around and get them coated with the butter. Add the 1/3 cup of RVR cheese/garlic spread and make sure each shrimp is pasted with a little bit. Be liberal with the spread, this is Wisconsin style.

~Layer bread crumbs on top and bake for 12 minutes.




bam! there goes your heart

Other fun stuff to do with River Valley Ranch five cheese garlic spread.


the Country store at the farm


Stuffed 'Shrooms

~Stuff a mushroom with half cheese spread and half bread crumbs and bake for 12 minutes


The best garlic bread on earth


Cheesy garlic bacon wrapped shrimp

~rub spread on shrimp and wrap with a thin slice of bacon and fry until bacon is crispy.

RVR Mushroom Farm
39900 60th St.
Burlington, WI 53105
262 539 3555
Website