New Orleans Shrimp Étouffée

Hello There! In case you missed it, in the last post I wrote about my trip to New Orleans aka Foodie Heaven. It is only fitting that I follow up with a Creole/Cajun recipe, hence today’s recipe: New Orleans Shrimp Etouffée.

Have you ever made something so delicious that you find yourself thinking about it at least once a week? New Orleans Shrimp Etouffee is that kind of dish. The rich flavor of the roux, the herbs and spices, the shrimp, and of course the kick of the sauce… thank me later!

Etouffée

” Etouffée” is the French word for “smothered” and refers to the technique used to prepare the dish. The sauce will cook on a low heat, then the fish or meat of choice will be added and cooked until “smothered” in the sauce. Smothering is a technique commonly used in the southern regions of the United States such as Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi and Texas.

Creole or Cajun?

As I explained in my Southern Rice and Beans recipe, Creole and Cajun are often used interchangeably…and they shouldn’t. Cajun and Creole are distinct cultures, people, and cuisines. 

• Cajuns are heavy on pork and chicken, though they also love crawfish, and will always use the “Holy Trinity” blend as a base.
• Creoles use tomatoes, okra, roux and lots of seafood.

So is shrimp etouffée Creole or Cajun? Well, we have dark roux, shrimp and tomatoes, so… both!

Creole or Cajun Seasoning?

Both can be used. Cajun seasoning is essentially a blend of dry peppers, such as white and black cayenne, and garlic powder, while Creole seasoning contains more herbs and spices, such as onion powder, oregano and thyme, and paprika.
I used Creole Seasoning in this recipe. If you can’t find it in your supermarket, you can make your own (as I usually do) by following AllRecipe’s recipe.

The Roux

The “secret” to the texture and flavor of the dish: the roux. Using a roux as a base gives the dish a thicker and richer texture and a “nutty” flavor. Unlike the standard roux used in baked pasta dishes or lasagna, here we stir the roux until it turns a light caramel color; only then do we add the Trinity.

The Holy Trinity

The “Holy Trinity” is the name given to the three-ingredient aromatic foundation of every Cajun and Creole recipe: it consists of onion, celery, and green bell pepper. You won’t find a Louisiana dish that doesn’t use the trinity as its base; my “Rice and Beans” recipe is an example.

Here, the trinity is added to the roux and cooked in the roux until the onion, celery, and bell pepper are soft.

The Shrimp

Do peeled shrimp add more flavor to sauces? Absolutely! Do I use peeled shrimp in this recipe? Absolutely not. Why not? While you can use either shelled or unshelled shrimp for Shrimp Etouffée, I prefer to keep the shells for a homemade broth and, I must, only keep the end of the tail on, so I don’t have to peel the shrimp when I eat it.

Shrimp Stock

You can use store-bought shrimp stock cubes, but as I said, I like to use the shells from the shrimp to make shrimp stock, mainly for two reasons: not only does it taste better, but it’s also healthier because you know exactly what’s in it.

Hot Sauce

I didn’t realize how much Southerners love hot sauce until I lived in Texas many years ago. Ironically, I didn’t learn to appreciate the addition of hot sauce until my recent trip to New Orleans. In my Foodie Review of New Orleans article, I mentioned that Lil Dizzy’s was by far my favorite restaurant in the city: I absolutely loved their “Trout Baquet” and you know what made it even better? Hot sauce!

The same goes for this Shrimp Etouffée: the hot sauce adds that little “je ne sais quoi” to the dish. Not everyone likes extra spicy food (myself included), so use your discretion when adding the hot sauce. 
If you live outside the US, American hot sauces may be hard to come by: in this case, Tabasco would work just fine.

I like to eat Shrimp Etouffée with white rice. I’ve paired it with quinoa, mashed potatoes, and even eaten it by itself, and they all turned out just fine.

For more Shrimp and Southern recipes, check the recipes below:

• Southern Rice and Beans
• Fried Shrimp and Spicy Mayo
• Coconut Shrimp Curry and Coconut Sauce
• Cajun Shrimp Plantain Cups
• Honey Lime Shrimp and Coconut Rice

Well, without further ado, scroll below for the full recipe and video instructions.

Bon Appetit!