etouffee

I cannot wait for new orleans in april! in the mean time ... i'll enjoy a nice hearty pot of shrimp etouffee.

shrimp etouffee

adapted from a recipe by Rob Newsom

1 large yellow onion, chopped
4 sticks celery, chopped
6 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 bell peppers, chopped (one red, one green)
2 pounds of shrimp
2 bunches of green onions
1 stick of butter
4 cups of shrimp stock* (directions on how to make this below)

for the seasoning mix:
2 tsp salt
1 tsp cayenne
1/2 tsp white pepper
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp basil
1/2 tsp thyme

Mix all of the dry seasonings and set aside. Peel the shrimp, and set aside in a bowl. Put the shrimp shells in 8 cups of water and simer them down to 4 cups of stock. This should take about 30 minutes.

For the roux .. heat 1/4 cup of vegetable oil in a cast iron pot. Stir in 1/4 cup of flour and stir continuously and vigorously to make sure that everything is combined and that the roux doesn't burn. Continue to heat and stir the roux over medicum heat until it develops a nice dark brown color. This can take about 15-20 minutes.

Once the roux gets to the desired color, stir in the onions, garlic, celery and bell peppers and stir for a few minutes. Add 1 tablespoon of the dry seasoning mix and stir well. Stir in 2 cups of the shrimp stock and one stick of butter and stir until melted. Simmer to reduce the liquid. About 20 minutes.

In the mean time, use the remaining shrimp stock for the water to make the rice. When the rice is 5 minutes from ready, add the peeled shrimp and chopped green onions to the etouffee pot. Slowly add the remaining seasoning (to taste) and stir. When the shrimp is done (about 3-4 minutes), pour the etoffee over the rice and serve with crusty bread.