Shrimp Etouffee

 I woke this morning dreaming I was in New Orleans--the smell of onions, peppers and garlic simmering with shrimp lingering in the air.   Mmm--mmm, Shrimp Etouffee!  The featured dish of our second cooking class this season, perfect timing for Mardi Gras and/or Valentines Day next week.

"Etouffee" means smothered, shrimp etouffe means sweet succulent shrimp smothered in a spicy southern gravy.   If you want a delicious gravy you must start with a good stock, which means homemade.  Etouffee is a quick cooking simple meal so you can afford a little extra time and effort to create this rich base.  This is how I made mine.  

A few hours before class I peeled and chopped up an onion and a carrot and roughly diced up some celery.  Then I smashed some big garlic cloves, pulled their skins off and threw everything into my big stock pot.  I tossed in a bay leaf, some pepper corns and dried thyme.  Then I peeled the shrimp, saving and rinsing the shells to put in the stock.

I added enough water to cover everything and set it to boil.  As soon as it boiled the scents began dancing around the kitchen.  When RT came in from a little greenhouse work, he nearly cried with joy.  I let this beautiful mixture simmer for awhile and then let it steep until class.

Each arriving guest was greeted with this wonder smell, a nice glass of wine and we got cooking!

When I drained the shrimp stock, I got a little over 3 cups.  I seasoned it to taste with about a teaspoon and a half of salt.  We had a little tasting and my students were surprised by complexity of this simple concoction.  If you want good gravy, start with a good stock.

The next crucial step is making the roux.  A roux is so simple--two ingredients, butter and flour.  With a little heat and a little attention and you have buttery caramel colored gold, but the attention is important.  I set "Sofie"--she's my Lodge 6 quart red enameled Dutch oven--a gift from my dear husband--over medium heat and dropped in the butter.  As soon as it melted I began to stir in the flour.  It is a simple as that, just watch and stir, watch and stir.  Don't answer the phone, don't text, don't stop stirring to take a pic for the blog--just stir and watch.  I think of it as my butter meditation--ommmmm. 

The butter will start to turn colors--off white, ecru, tan--getting deeper and richer.  You are looking for the color of peanut butter, not Skippy or Jiff, but a nice whole peanut natural peanut butter.   As soon as we got a real deep golden peanuty color we introduced the "holy trinity" of Creole vegetables:  onion, celery and green peppers.  You just drop these right in and keep on stirring.

 

After about 3 minutes, bamm!  I tossed in the seasoning, a big spoonful of Emeril Lagasse's special blend and when that combination of spices hit the room there was swooning.  (You'll find a recipe below.)  Then we tossed in the garlic, bay leaves and a pint of my home-canned tomatoes and let everybody mingle.  As soon as this was bubbly I added the shrimp stock and let it all come to a boil and cook just until the vegetables were crisp-tender--like al dente for veggies.

With timer in hand, I added the shrimp, covered Sofie and let her do her magic for three minutes.  We all gathered around for the unveiling--ta da!  Three minutes, perfect shrimp, pink and just cooked through--I pulled Sofie off the flame and ladled steaming etouffee over mounds of white rice.  A sprinkle of fresh parsley and we met at the table for some serious sensory input...heavenly.  

Etouffee creates the perfect bite:  savory gravy rich in texture and flavor.  The herbs and spices set the stage for the sweet onions and garlic.  The celery and peppers add another layer of flavor that's accented with a good bit of heat,  a perfect setting for sweet succulent shrimp.  The rice is an excellent vehicle for all this flavor because it fills the mouth, adding another texture and allows one to linger over and savor each bite. 

I can hardly wait for lunch, there being just enough etouffee for one big lunch or two small.  I think I will make a really nice sandwich to distract RT--fat chance of that happening if you know my husband.

Shrimp Etouffee

4 T. butter

¼ c. flour

1 onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 c. celery, chopped

2 T. garlic

1 14 oz. can tomatoes, diced

2 bay leaves

1 T. Creole Seasoning

2 c. shrimp stock

1 lb. shrimp

parsley, chopped

Brine the shrimp by combining 1 tsp. of salt and enough water to cover the shrimp in a medium sized bowl.  Stir to dissolve the salt and add the shrimp.  Place in the fridge.

Start the rice.  As soon as your rice begins to boil, begin your etouffee.  It cooks quickly and the two dishes should be ready about the same time.

Make a roux:  melt butter in a large Dutch oven set over med. heat.  Add the flour and stir constantly until it turns the color of peanut butter.  Do not leave your roux!  Do not answer the phone, talk to your mate or become distracted by anyone or anything.  Your roux deserves your undivided attention for the next 5-7 minutes.  Think of it as a meditation.  Just you, melted butter and flour…

The moment it turns the proper caramel color add the onions, pepper, celery and garlic and cook stirring often, 5-10 minutes.  Add the seasoning and stir for 30 seconds, until the fragrance fills the air and then add the bay leaves and tomatoes.  Cook for 2-3 minutes, and add the shrimp stock.

When the vegetables are just tender, drain the shrimp and add to the etouffee.  Cook for 3-5 minutes, just until the shrimp are cooked through.  Serve immediately over white rice garnished with freshly chopped parsley.

Creole Seasoning

2 ½ T. paprika

2 T. garlic powder

1 T. black pepper

1 T. cayenne pepper

1 T. dried oregano

1 T. dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight container.

Use it as a rub for fish and chicken.  Use it in sautés and gumbo.  Excellent rubbed into salmon and dusted onto shrimp to sauté in a little oil or grill.  Even good on freshly popped pop corn. 

Shrimp stock

shrimp shells, rinsed

1 onion, coarsely chopped

½ c. celery, coarsely chopped

1 carrot, coarsely chopped

3 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed

1 bay leaf

1 t. black pepper corns

½ t. thyme

salt to taste

Combine all ingredients in a large stock-pot and cover with cold water.  Bring to the boil, reduce and simmer for 45 min.  Turn off the heat.  Add salt to taste and strain.  Freeze any unused stock.