Shrimp Etouffee

Submitted by sugarpea

"THIS is what I want for my last meal. Paul Prudhomme makes a mean etouffee but it's a bit rich so I've adapted it to make it a little less so. I generally cut the peppers in the seasoning mix down to 1/4 of the amount on the ingredients list. Some consider me a wimp. You've been warned! Cook time for stock and rice is not included."

 

• Ready In: 1hr 35mins
• Ingredients: 22
• Serves: 4

ingredients

• Fish Stock

• 1892.0 ml cold water
• 1 medium onion, unpeeled and quartered
• 1 garlic clove, unpeeled and quartered
• 1 stalk celery
• shrimp shells, from 2 pounds shrimp

• Seasoning Mix

• 9.85 ml salt
• 9.85 ml ground red pepper (preferably cayenne)
• 4.92 ml white pepper
• 4.92 ml black pepper
• 4.92 ml basil
• 2.46 ml thyme
• 59.14 ml chopped onion
• 59.14 ml chopped celery
• 59.14 ml chopped green bell pepper

• Roux and Gravy

• 103.53 ml vegetable oil
• 177.44 ml flour
• 473.18 ml fish stock

• Finish

• 88.74-118.32 ml unsalted butter, divided, to your taste
• 907.18 g medium shrimp, peeled
• 236.59 ml very finely chopped green onion
• 236.59 ml fish stock
• 946.36 ml hot cooked rice

directions

1. Fish Stock: Combine all ingredients and bring to boil; simmer for 4-8 hours, the longer the better; replenish water as needed to keep one quart of liquid in the pot.
2. If you're short on time, a stock simmered 20-30 minutes is better than water.
3. If you're even shorter for time, simmer the shells from the peeled shrimp and skip the vegetables.
4. Seasoning Mix: In a small bowl thoroughly combine all dry ingredients; set aside; combine chopped vegetables in separate bowl and set aside.
5. Roux: Heat the oil over high heat in a large, heavy skillet until it begins to smoke, about 4 minutes; use a LONG handled whisk and gradually mix in flour; cook and stir constantly until roux is dark red-brown,3-5 minutes; don't let roux scorch and DON'T get it on your skin!
6. Remove from heat and stir in the combined vegetables and ONE TABLESPOON of the dry seasoning with a wooden spoon; stir for 5 minutes while the roux cools down.
7. Gravy: Bring the fish stock to a boil in a 2 quart saucepan; gradually whisk in roux and stir until incorporated.
8. Reduce heat to low; continue stirring and cook another 2 minutes, until flour taste is gone; if any of the gravy scorches, don't scrape that part of the pan; remove from heat and set aside.
9. Finish: Using a 4 quart saucepan, melt 3-4 T butter over medium heat; stir in shrimp and green onions and sauté 1 minute, stirring constantly.
10. Add the remaining 3-4 T butter, Fish Stock and gravy; shake the pan rather than stir until the butter is melted and mixed into sauce, about 4-6 minutes.
11. Add remaining seasoning mix; stir well and remove from heat; if sauce starts separating, add a couple of T of stock or water and shake pan until it combines.
12. Plate rice in a ring and pour etouffee into center; serve immediately.

Reviews

[Ron Ellerbe]

This is an authentic cajun recipe. It tastes just like the shrimp etouffee I ate in Opelousas, LA while on a business trip in 1965. It was this meal that got me hooked on Cajun and Creole recipes, food, and cooking. I used a lot less cayenne and somehat less black pepper. This dish transported me back to Opelousas (figuratively, of course).

 

[storm56]

My brother had accused me of not knowing how to cook so we decided to have him and his girlfriend over for dinner to prove him wrong. I shelled the shrimp and simmered the stock for about six hours the day before having the dinner. I used the full strength of seasoning and though I found it a little spicy, the perfect white wine did manage to soothe my flaming taste buds. I adjusted the 'put together' method a little and was able to reduce some of the work involved. Absolutely the finest etoufee I've ever made and it's now my number one "I need to impress' menu choice. Happy cooking....storm

 

[Jamie N.]

My favorite shrimp recipe, the stock makes a huge difference, adds a lot of flavor. The only thing I’d alter is dial back to half the amount pepper, I know it’s a cajun recipe but contrary to popular belief, we’re not about overly spicy food but more so the flavor from the other ingredients the shrimp stock infused roux, trinity, green onions garlic thyme basil and butter shrimp provide the flavor and add just enough pepper to compliment it

 

[Tim B.]

Being a native of southern Louisiana I can attest that THIS IS AN AUTHENTIC RECIPE from south Louisiana.

 

[KatrinaRadia]

This is a wonderful recipe, My husband will not eat tomatoes so Shrimp Etouffee came to mind as I was deciding a dish to celebrate Mardi Gras. I found a Chinese fish bullion which was awesome and not to salty, at a local %u201CWorld Market%u201D that augmented the shrimp shell stock because I only had time to boil for an hour. I followed the recipe exactly and I was so pleased to have the extra time in preparation be worth every minute! The only thing I did a little different was to make my Roux in my cast iron pot, as it really cuts down on the scorching factor. Once my veggies were stirred in, off the heat as suggested, I poured in half the stock in the cast iron to temper the roux into an easier consistency whisking briskly until it was thinned enough to finish cooking and final reduction process. My husband commented 3 or 4 times and mentioned how good it was AGAIN this morning. Thank you SugarPea!