New Orleans Shrimp Etouffee

Shrimp Etouffee is a classic Louisiana stew made with shrimp, Crawfish, or even Crabmeat!
Go into just about any restaurant in New Orleans and you will find this classic dish. The word Etouffee (Ay-2-FAY) translates to smothered, stewed, or braised. Here is my simple recipe that will surely satisfy your taste buds.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 Cup Bell Pepper, Finely Chopped
• 4 Tbsp. Unsalted Butter
• 2/3 Cup Onion, Finely Chopped
• 1/4 Cup Celery, Finely Chopped
• 1/4 Cup Flour
• 3/4 Cup fresh Diced Tomatoes
• 1 1/2 Cups Vegetable Stock
• 2 Tbsp. Minced Garlic
• 2 Tbsp. Fresh Thyme
• 2 tsp. Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 tsp. Hot Sauce
• 1/2 Cup Green Onions, thinly sliced
• 4 Tbsp. minced Italian Parsley
• 2-2/1/2 lbs. of Shrimp, Peeled and Deveined
• 3 Tbsp. Unsalted Butter
• Salt and Black Pepper to taste

Season the shrimp with 1 Tbsp. of the Creole Seasoning.
In a large cast iron skillet, melt the butter; add the onions, bell pepper, celery, and sauté until the vegetables are translucent. Whisk in the flour to make a blonde roux, stirring constantly, for about 3-5 minutes. Add the remaining Creole Seasoning. To the mixture, add a small amount of the vegetable stock, stirring well to form a nice paste, gradually add the remaining stock, whisking constantly. Bring the Etouffee mixture to a boil, reduce to a slow simmer. You may need to add little more stock, but the Etouffee mixture should be the consistency of gravy, not too thick or thin.
Add the tomatoes, garlic, Thyme, Worcestershire, and hot sauce, a little salt, black pepper, and Cayenne to the Etouffee mixture and simmer for 20-30 minutes.
Add the shrimp, green onions, parsley, and simmer for an additional 10 minutes or until the shrimp are cooked all the way through. Stir in the 3 Tbsp. butter, and adjust the seasonings to your taste.

Serve over Rice with some French bread on the side.

You may also substitute Crawfish or Crabmeat for the Shrimp to make Crawfish or Crabmeat Etouffee.

A Rick & Mel Recipe