Étouffée is a delicious shellfish stew that’s a New Orleans classic. I use a homemade spice blend in this recipe and demonstrate that it is possible to get good results using frozen shrimp, which is sometimes the only option.
Preparation Details
Prep Time: 35 mins
Cook Time: 20 mins
Total Time: 1 hr 15 mins
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- ¾ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon ground thyme
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Steps
- For the spice blend: Whisk paprika, thyme, oregano, cayenne, garlic powder, onion powder, white pepper, and black pepper together in a small bowl.
- For the étouffée: Drain shrimp in a colander for at least 15 minutes. Transfer to a bowl lined with paper towels and dry shrimp for about 3 minutes. Remove paper towels from the bowl. Season shrimp with salt and 1 teaspoon spice blend; toss to coat.
- Heat oil in a large heavy skillet over high heat until oil is smoking. Cook shrimp in hot oil without stirring for 1 minute; stir, and cook 1 minute more.
- Transfer shrimp to a large bowl. Let stand until juice collects in the bowl. Strain shrimp juices into chicken stock to total 2 cups, adding more chicken stock if necessary. Set aside.
- Melt butter in the same skillet over medium heat until butter begins to turn tan at the edges. Sauté onion, bell pepper, and celery in hot butter until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in remaining spice blend.
- Sprinkle flour into vegetable mixture and sauté until combined, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in tomatoes; cook until tomato juices begin to brown on the bottom of the pan, about 3 minutes. Whisk in chicken stock mixture, stirring until smooth. Bring to a simmer and cook until slightly thickened and reduced to a gravy consistency, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in Worcestershire and hot sauce. Season with salt to taste.
- Stir shrimp into étouffée sauce; let simmer until shrimp are cooked all the way through and no longer translucent, about 1 minute.
- Garnish with green onions and a dusting of cayenne pepper. Pour over rice in large, shallow bowls.
