Recipe: Shrimp Etouffee

Since I had posted my menu for this past week, someone said they would like to have the Shrimp Etouffee with Rice Recipe. Here it is!

I love Etouffee, any etouffee to be honest. There are so many different ways of cooking it, but I prefer mine a little thicker than some and more spicy. This recipe is one that came from a Louisiana cookbook that we have, and I just worked with it until I got it the way I like it. So do not be afraid to take away or add for your own taste. This recipe can also be cooked with crawfish instead of shrimp. I hope you enjoy it. As always, if you try it, be sure to let me know what you thought of it!

• Shrimp Etouffee:
• Ingredients:
• 2 pounds shrimp
• 1 stick butter 
• 1 1/2 cups onions, diced
• 1/2 cup celery, diced (I sometimes omit this as I am not a big cooked celery person.)
• 1 cup  green bell peppers, diced (can be divided red and green or all green)
• 1/2 cup diced tomatoes, drained (I use fresh tomatoes.)
• 2 tbs garlic, minced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 cup flour
• 1 small can or 1/2 cup tomato sauce (If you enjoy making your own, go for it! Taste just as good!)
• 2 quarts crawfish or shrimp stock or water (I personally use water.)
• 1 cup sliced green onion tops
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• salt and Louisiana hot sauce to taste
• 
  

Directions:

• 1. Melt butter and over medium high heat in two gallong cast iron Dutch oven or saucepot.
• 2. Add onion, celery and bell peppers, tomatoes, garlic and bay leaf.
• 3. Saute 4 or 5 minutes until veggies are wilted.
• 4. Whisk in flour and stir constantly until flour is cooked. This is a white roux. Do not leave unattended and burn.
• 5. Slowly add shrimp stock or water.
• 6. Add tomato sauce and stir well.
• 7. Simmer for 30 minutes, do not boil, stir about every five minutes.
• 8. Mixture should have a sauce-like consistency, add a little water or stock if necessary, but don't over thin.
• 9. Add crawfish tails or shrimp and cook until shrimp tturn pink. about 5-8 minutes. Do not overcook. Crawfish tails are precooked.
• 10. Adjust salt and add several shakes Louisiana Hot Sauce, or to taste
• 11. Add green onions and parsley and serve over cooked rice.
• Note: Shrimp base can be purchased in paste form in gourmet groceries, but have a high salt content. Stock can be made by boiling shrimp heads and/or shells.

Serve this with rice. Brown rice or white rice. They are both yummy! 

Eat up!!