Shrimp Étouffée

By Vallery Lomas

Updated Feb. 9, 2021

Shrimp Étouffée
Con Poulos for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Jerrie-Joy Redman-Lloyd.
Total Time
30 minutes
Rating
4(1,848)
Comments
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Found in both Creole and Cajun cuisines, étouffée is most commonly made with crawfish tails, which have a distinct flavor, but crawfish have a short season and aren’t readily available in most places. This version, with shrimp, is more than a worthy substitute, and an excellent dish all its own. The dish takes its name from the French word "étouffée,” which nods to its protein being smothered with sauce. This recipe uses a shortcut version of a roux: The flour is added after the onion, celery, bell pepper and garlic have already been sautéed in the butter. If you omit the hot sauce, add apple cider vinegar in its place.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • 4tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1yellow onion, finely chopped
  • 2celery stalks, thinly sliced
  • ½green bell pepper, finely chopped
  • 4garlic cloves, minced
  • 3tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 2tablespoons tomato paste
  • ¾cup chicken or vegetable stock
  • 1tablespoon hot sauce, or to taste
  • 1dried bay leaf
  • 2teaspoons store-bought or homemade Creole seasoning (see Tip)
  • Kosher salt and black pepper
  • 1pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 1scallion, green parts chopped
  • White rice, for serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

359 calories; 13 grams fat; 8 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 4 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 34 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 4 grams sugars; 28 grams protein; 671 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onion, celery and bell pepper, and cook until softened, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 more minute.

  2. Step 2

    Sprinkle the flour over the ingredients and stir constantly until lightly toasted, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste, and stir and cook for 1 more minute.

  3. Step 3

    Pour in the stock and ¾ cup water. Cook until the liquid is reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Add the hot sauce, bay leaf, Creole seasoning, 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Bring to a boil, and cook until the mixture starts to thicken, about 2 minutes.

  4. Step 4

    Stir in the shrimp and reduce the heat to medium. Simmer until the shrimp is cooked through and opaque, about 5 minutes, turning each piece halfway through. Remove from the heat. Taste and adjust seasoning. Sprinkle the scallions on top. Serve warm over rice.

Tip
  • To make your own Creole seasoning, combine 1 tablespoon smoked paprika, 1 tablespoon chile powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (or less, if desired), ½ teaspoon fine sea salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper in a small bowl and stir together. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
1,848 user ratings
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Comments

Rosemary

Writing from NOLA and descended from a family that's been in Louisiana for 250 years. (Just to establish my authority). Different recipes include tomato or not; it is an individual choice. I always start with a roux, and tend to make it darker for flavor, but others add roux at end, or saute flour into vegetables as here. So go ahead, add tomato if you wish. For flavor: Use seafood stock; cook sauce for longer; fresh parsley at end. Usually better the second day.

Brigham

This was delicious and very easy. I made a quick stock out of the shrimp shells and onion trimmings, which amped up the shrimp flavor a bit.

Julie

I grew up in Louisiana. This is a good recipe--but from my experience, not a true Etouffee. It is more like a Shrimp Creole (with the tomato paste).

Laurie

Roux 1:1 canola oil:flour (4T). 1 big+ yellow onion, 6 green onion bulbs (green tops for garnish reserved), 3 medium celery sticks, 1 green pepper, 8 cloves garlic, 2 seeded diced roma tomatoes, 4 T tomato paste. 1 1/2 c chicken stock, 1 stick unsalted butter, 1 1/2 heaping T creole seasoning (Emeril's recipe). To boil. 1 lb shrimp, 1 sliced up loop of andouille sausage. To boil, then simmer. Crystal hot sauce to taste (then on the table for the real hotties). Bam! Serve over rice (or polenta).

Soooo good

This was wonderful with fresh NC shrimp. Fall, cool,, spicy worth the time to peel. yum!

Martha

I have enjoyed a different recipe that uses canned soup to get the thickness for a quick way to make a similar dish that a friend who grew up in NOLA shared with me. So I tried this last evening for the first time, but added a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, and instead of water, I used wine and more broth. At the end, I also added some heavy cream to add a creaminess to the dish. It was quite good. Will make again.

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