National Restaurant Association show comes to Chicago

CHICAGO (WLS) -- The National Restaurant Association is holding their largest gathering of the year in Chicago. The food service show features celebrity chefs, new technology and locally sourced ingredients. The 2015 show is being held May 16-19 at McCormick Place. The event attracts more than 63,000 people each year from all 50 states and more than 100 countries.

Chef Tenney Flynn, of GW Fins, and Karen Profita, of the Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board, visited ABC 7 to share Louisiana seafood dishes.

National Restaurant Association Show

May 16-19, 2015

9:30 a.m.-5 p.m.

McCormick Place, 2301 S. Martin Luther King Drive, Chicago , Ill. 60616

Tickets: $99-159

LINKS

http://show.restaurant.org/Attend/Registration

http://www.louisianaseafood.com/

RECIPE

GW Fin's fresh gulf BBQ shrimp with mashed sweet potatoes with bourbon and vanilla

Ingredients:

4 pounds fresh head-on Louisiana shrimp (10-15 count or bigger)

1 pound prepared BBQ butter (see recipe)

2 bottles Abita Amber beer (you'll have 1/2 of one left over for drinking)

1 tablespoon Paul Prudhomme Shrimp Magic (or Creole seasoning)

Butter

Extra virgin olive oil

Chopped parsley

Preparation:

1. Preparation for one pound at a time of BBQ Shrimp, due to restriction of pan size.

2. Peel shrimp, leaving the heads attached, split the back 1/4 inch and remove the sand vein. Season with Shrimp Magic and reserve. In a large skillet, saute one pound of seasoned shrimp in about a tablespoon each of butter and oil for two minutes on medium-high heat. Turn and continue cooking for one minute. Add about four ounces of beer and reduce to 1 ounce. Lower the heat and stir in several cold 1-inch chunks of BBQ butter (see recipe). Continue adding a total of four ounces of butter, stirring constantly to make the sauce a creamy consistency. Add chopped parsley.

3. Repeat instructions for remaining 3 pounds of shrimp. Serve in large heated bowls with plenty of French or sourdough bread for dipping. This is also great on mashed potatoes.

BBQ shrimp butter

Ingredients:

1 pound butter (plus an additional 2 oz.)

6 tablespoons shallots, finely diced

6 tablespoons garlic, finely diced

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 tablespoons reduced veal stock, (optional)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary (measure before chopping)

1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme (measure before chopping)

1 finger pinch, cayenne pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 tablespoon paprika

Melt 2 oz. of butter in a heavy duty small sauce pan. Place chopped shallots and garlic in butter and cook on low to medium heat, covered, until soft, but not browned. Spread the mixture on a pan and refrigerate until cold. Place the one pound of butter in a mixer with a paddle and whip on high until white and fluffy. Reduce the speed, add the remaining ingredients as well as refrigerated shallot and garlic mixture. Increase the speed and whip for one minute on high. Roll it up in plastic wrap into a log that is 2 inches in diameter. Refrigerate or freeze until needed. Can be frozen for up to two months.

Potatoes

3 lbs. sweet potatoes, peeled, cut 2-inch cubes

3 very ripe bananas, peeled and sliced

1 cup heavy cream

1 small vanilla bean, split and scraped

1/4 cup honey

1/2 cup light brown sugar

3 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon bourbon

1 tablespoon soft butter

2 quarts water

2 teaspoons salt

1. Bring the water and 2 teaspoons salt to a boil, add the potatoes and cook until tender - about 15-20 minutes.

2. While the potatoes are cooking, in a separate pot, combine the cream, honey, brown sugar, split vanilla bean, bananas and orange juice. Bring to a boil and cook on high for 5 minutes. Scrape vanilla bean and either puree the mixture with a mixing wand or mash well with a potato masher.

3. When the potatoes are tender, drain well and add the cream mixture. Cook on medium heat for 4-5 minutes and mash gently with a spoon, leaving some chunks of potato. The mixture will thicken slightly as the potatoes absorb the cream.

4. Stir in the bourbon and the soft butter. Can be held and reheated.