JULIA REED, AN AUTHOR WHO HAILS FROM GREENVILLE, Mississippi, but lives in New Orleans, knows a thing or two about Creole cooking in general, and everything about shrimp remoulade in particular. Remoulade dressing, of course, is one of the glories of Southern cuisine, and for years, I believed that the finest versions were found in such venerable New Orleans restaurants as Galatoire’s, Broussard’s, and Commander’s Palace. Then, when I tasted Julia’s, I flipped. “Basically, it’s my take on Paul Prudhomme’s dressing,” she confessed, “but, you know, I do like to fiddle around a little bit.” Well, her take involves substituting Dijon mustard for ordinary yellow mustard, and white wine vinegar for plain white vinegar, but the way she’s really transformed the dressing is by adding capers.

Makes 6 servings

INGREDIENTS

THE DRESSING:

• 2 large egg yolks
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup finely chopped scallions
• 1/2 cup finely chopped celery
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 1/4 cup prepared horseradish
• 1/4 lemon, seeded and cut up (including rind)
• 1 bay leaf, crumbled
• 2 tablespoons Creole mustard
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Tabasco sauce
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 3 tablespoons drained capers
• 2 teaspoons sweet paprika
• 1 teaspoon salt

THE SHRIMP:

• 1 1/2 pounds medium fresh shrimp
• 1/2 lemon, seeded
• Thinly shredded lettuce leaves

INSTRUCTIONS

1. To make the dressing, place the egg yolks in a blender or food processor and blend for 2 minutes.
2. With the machine running, gradually add the vegetable oil in a thin stream until the emulsion thickens.
3. One at a time, add the remaining dressing ingredients to the blender or food processor and process until well blended and the lemon rind is finely chopped.
4. Transfer the dressing to a covered container and chill it for at least 2 hours.
5. To prepare the shrimp, place them and the lemon in a large saucepan with enough water to cover.
6. Bring the saucepan to a boil, then remove it from the heat, cover, and let it stand for 1 minute.
7. Drain the shrimp, discard the lemon, and when the shrimp are cool enough to handle, peel and devein them.
8. When ready to serve, combine the shrimp with the dressing in a bowl and toss until the shrimp are well coated.
9. Make small mounds of shredded lettuce on 6 salad plates.
10. Mound the shrimp over the tops of the lettuce mounds and serve.