Shrimp Etouffe

This is another of my family favorites. I learned how to make this rich, shrimp stew when we lived in Louisiana. It is fast & simple to prepare and tastes great. I honestly almost always use the precooked frozen shrimp in this, as they are available year round. I am completely guessing on the prep and cook times - I know I can get this dish ready in under an hour from start to finish, including thawing the fish and chopping the veggies. The cooking goes very quickly. I serve this atop bowls of hot rice and make hot sauce available to add more heat to individual servings. If you happen to have cooked crawfish, you can use that as well.

• Ready In: 1 hr
• Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

• 1 1⁄3 cups celery, finely diced
• 1  cup green bell peppers or 1  cup red bell pepper, finely diced
• 1  cup green onion, finely diced
• 1⁄4 cup unsalted butter
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons  fresh minced garlic
• 2  tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 (12 ounce) can  v- 8  vegetable juice
• 1 (10 1/2ounce) can  condensed cream of celery soup
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄4-1⁄2 teaspoon red cayenne pepper, to taste
• 1⁄8 teaspoon Tabasco sauce, to taste
• 1  lb shrimp (can be precooked, frozen)
• 4 -6  cups cooked white rice

Directions

1. If you are using fresh shrimp, peel and devein first; if using frozen precooked shrimp, you can thaw them right before using by placing the shrimp in a mesh colander and running them under cold water for about 5-10 minutes until thawed, stirring so they don't stick together- drain well.
2. Keep shrimp cold until ready to use.
3. Heat a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat.
4. Melt butter in pan and sauté celery, bell pepper, green onion, and garlic until softened and lightly browned.
5. Stir in flour until blended, then pour in soup, V-8, and salt.
6. Cook until thick (you may need to lower temperature a bit), stirring often.
7. Add remaining ingredients and cook until the shrimp are cooked through (they will turn pink and opaque- this only takes a few minutes) or, if using precooked seafood, just until the shrimp are heated through.
8. Be careful not to overcook the shrimp or it will get tough.
9. Ladle over hot, cooked rice.