Shrimp Étouffée
This Authentic Cajun Shrimp Étouffée is a classic Louisiana dish with a buttery, richly seasoned sauce smothered over fresh shrimp and rice. If you haven't had the pleasure of this classic, you should!
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 786kcal
Equipment
- 1 Small Saucepot (for seafood stock)
- 1 Medium Saucepot (for cooking rice)
- 1 8-10 inch Sauté pan (a larger skillet can be hard to properly whisk, and, thus, burn the roux)
- 1 Whisk (Non-metal preferred but not required)
- 1 Large Skillet or sauté pan (For cooking the shrimp.)
- Wooden Spoon
Ingredients
Seasoning Mix
- 1.5 teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Ground Cayenne Pepper see note about heat
- 1 teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1 teaspoon Dried Basil
- ½ teaspoon Dried Thyme
Etouffee
- 3 cups Seafood Stock Divided (2 cups, 1 cup) - chicken stock is ok in a pinch
- 7 tablespoon Vegetable Oil
- ½ cup All Purpose Flour
- ½ cup Celery diced
- ½ cup Yellow Onions diced
- ½ cup Green Bell Pepper diced
- 1 stick Unsalted butter If using salted, remove 0.5 teaspoon salt
- 2 pounds Shrimp
For Serving
- 4 cups Cooked Rice
- ½ cup Green Onions finely sliced
Instructions
- Make sure that your ingredients, utensils, and pots are laid out and convenient before turning on the stove. This recipe moves quickly and relies on constant whisking so having everything laid out will help keep you from scorching the roux. I measure out all ingredients and cut vegetables, as well as 1 small saucepot, 1-8" or 10" skillet (no larger unless doubling the recipe) for the roux, and a second large skillet for the shrimp.
- In a small bowl, combine the salt, cayenne, pepper, basil, and thyme. Set aside.
- Bring 2 cups of the seafood stock to a boil. Turn down heat but keep hot. Cook the rice as directed.
- In a 10 inch skillet or slightly smaller, heat the oil over medium high to high heat until it begins to smoke (looks like very slight steam), about 4-5 minutes. Gradually whisk in the flour until smooth. Continue whisking constantly until the flour is a red brown color, about the color of a new penny. (3-5 minutes) Immediately remove from heat (don't just turn off the burner- remove it!).
- Add the celery, onions, and bell pepper. Add ½ (about 1 Tbsp) of the seasoning mixture and stir until well combined.
- Over low heat, gradually add the pre-heated seafood stock into the roux, and whisk until combined. Continue whisking constantly and simmer a few minutes until any flour taste is gone.
- In a large saucepan or pot over medium heat, melt the butter. Stir in shrimp and sauté until just pink on both sides.
- To the shrimp, add the remaining seafood stock, the roux mixture, and the remaining seasoning mix. Stir until well combined and hot, about 4-6 minutes.
- Serve in bowls with a ½ cup of rice. Sprinkle green onions over top of the dish.
Notes
Heat Level - This recipe is well seasoned and not super hot as written - It is buttery tasting and less spicy than medium wings at a restaurant.
If you wish to up the heat/spice level, you can add more cayenne or black pepper to suit your preferences. Andouille sausage is another flavorful option to increase the heat.
If you would like sausage without the additional heat, kielbasa can be substituted for Andouille sausage.
Nutrition
Serving: 2cup | Calories: 786kcal | Fat: 56g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Cholesterol: 115mg | Sodium: 1426mg | Calcium: 40mg | Iron: 6.3mg