Wondering if a bit of balsamic vinegar might be an acceptable sub...?

Recipes I checked only call for 1 tablespoon for the entire dish.

& the signature flavours of Worcestershire sauce are tamarind & anchovy. Honestly, I think you might be ok w/o it - or try a Tbsp. of bourbon or vermouth (if you've got it) instead for depth of flavor. IMPE, bourbon makes lots of things better.

I add a little bit of Old Bay seasoning to the sauce for shrimp creole - not enough to overpower it, just a few dashes. You have asked about Worcestershire sauce before and it's worth purchasing a bottle. Once you have it, you'll find all kinds of ways to use it, although I don't use it in shrimp creole.

Worcestershire is a big ferment of anchovies and spices and vinegar, etc. A bit of soy sauce and apple cider vinegar will work with some mild spice like sweet and smoked paprika. Like mentioned not that much is called for. It is just one of those thing that has become a needed staple in most kitchens. A little adds a big punch. Your creole will be fine without. Just punch up the other spices you have. Cayenne, a bit of cumin if you have it. Celery fresh and seed...green bell pepper and lots of parsley.

You will be fine without it. I keep smoked baby herring in the freezer for such thing. Just one whizzed in the blender with a tomato and vinegar works for a chowder base or a southern creole.

I would buy some but I have a condiment and garnish embargo going on right now in the fridge, nothing comes in until some of the other things get used up! I'm thinking maybe some red wine mixed with tamari. Actually I have some tamarind powder that I got for Indian cooking . . .

Tamarind is in storage unfortunately. In the end I googled "Old Bay Seasonings" and found out it was a pinch of a lot of things, some of which I had and some I did not. I had no cloves but I had some "Seven Spice" seasoning I got at a Middle Eastern market last year that smelled like it had some cloves in it, and probably cinnamon. I usually use it for Moroccan or Chinese dishes. It has no ingredients listed on the jar, very exotic! Anyway I used a dash of that, some parsley, paprika, garlic, dry mustard, ginger, allspice, and cayenne pepper plus generous grinding of black pepper. Simmered a bay leaf in the tomato sauce and added a splash of red wine. Somehow I must have gotten mixed up and added the cayenne twice because it ended up being more picante than I would have liked. Way more. Not totally inedible, but I won't enjoy it as much. Otherwise, tasted super yum. I will save this thread because I will be making it again.

I have never used Worcestershire sauce sauce when making Shrimp Creole, and none of my Cajun friends used it either. I would also not add allspice, but thyme can be included. Typcially, Shrimp Creole would have onion, celery, bell pepper, tomatoes, cayenne, oregano, and perhaps also thyme and basil. You can also add garlic, but it is not necessary.

Here is a Cuban version without Worcestershire sauce, but I would omit the cumin, as it would overpower the shrimp flavor.

Lars - Thanks and YUM!

This recipe is the most authentic and most delicious version I've ever encountered. I grew up in S. Louisiana, relatives both in N'awlins and Cajun country, and this version resembles what I had growing up. It's got a lot of ingredients, but trust me; this is worth the effort. In fact, I have made large quantities of the sauce ahead of time and frozen it in portions, and then later heated it up, adding the shrimp about 20 minutes before you serve it.

The link is to a Google books page; it's not the most legible, but you can decipher it. It's from my favorite all time cookbook, Richard and Rima Collin's The New Orleans Cookbook. The glitches in the image of the recipe might confuse you, but in paragraph one you're adding the tomato paste; you don't add the shrimp until paragraph two of the recipe.

Once I was in Miami Beach on Lincoln Road, and had a very similar dish (spicy shrimp in a tomato sauce) served in a bowl made of fried plantains. I was in heaven. I was later told by a Puerto Rican friend that it was called mofongo.

I would buy some but I have a condiment and garnish embargo going on
right now in the fridge, nothing comes in until some of the other things
get used up!

I know the feeling. But Worcestershire doesn't go in the refrigerator. IMO, Worcestershire sauce is a basic necessity in the kitchen. It's great for adding umami. And don't buy the cheap brands...Lea & Perrins is THE brand to buy--the others don't measure up.

.Lea & Perrins is THE brand to buy--the others don't measure up.

Agree 100%. You've only got to compare the ingredients lists to see which to buy. I'm glad Lars spoke up since I never heard of using Worcestershire in shrimp creole.

Cilantro, I keep Worcestershire in the fridge. It helps to preserve the flavor. I think it even says that on the bottle. Maybe not, but I like to keep all the condiments in the fridge.

Never heard of the stuff in Shrimp Creole. Remoulade, BBQ Shrimp, crawfish stuffed portobellos ... yes, but not SC.

Well if I can get rid of a half a bag of white chocolate chips and some raspberry vinegar salad dressing, a can of Reddi Whip that has about three squirts left in it, and a half jar of caramel sauce, there just may be room for the Worcestershire sauce.

Thanks Arley for that recipe, sounds delish and somewhat similar to what I made, sans the basil and thyme. So I guess that extra shake of cayenne was authentic! I'm such a heat wimp! Oh, and that cookbook looks AWESOME BTW.

In the future, I wonder if a bit of fish sauce would work if you had that in the fridge. I hear you on the condiment embargo. I need to start going through some of mine as well.

Unfortunately I have a book embargo going on too, lol! ;) Thank goodness for libraries!
Great idea on the fish sauce, I do occasionally have that around due to using it in Thai recipes. Not sure what happened to my last bottle, I may have thrown it out during my move. If I don't tightly discipline myself on the condiments and spices, (and books) it can get out of hand in my life very quickly!

I just found my copy. ooohfah...a bit on the dingy side. Hard cover, no jacket.

I've not opened it in years. Bought when i lived in NOrleans. Surprised no worcestershire in their creole. They do use it in other things.

I make it without a recipe now so i must have just adapted my own over the years. DH does the gumbo in the house and that page has his post-it notes all over. (large quantity conversions)

I do think of the Orleans pantry having worcestershire, and white wine and hot sauce, creole spices. Usually whole spice as every family and chef seem to like their own blend.

I've always kicked out any tomato paste in recipes as it gets ketchupy and hides the seafood flavor. (for us anyway)

OldBay does not seem to have a place in NOrleans cooking and i don't know why. Always in my pantry as i grew up EasternShore. Maybe its the ground celery seed. I've never used it in any NO dishes.