In honor of IFTD this week we thought we’d offer up some pure bayou goodness.
[Dammit to hell I had planned to be down in NO this week for IFTD. My fricken knee just won’t cooperate and my surgeon friends have said if I don’t manage this one by the books they’ll be scraping bone graft out of my iliac crest and rebuilding my tibia in the next few weeks. I’m listening now.]
Fans of Creole and Acadian food know that etouffee carries a special magic in bayou country.
This is simple, down-home, drop your jaw goodness backed by decades of tradition and thousands upon thousands of servings devoured by folks of every race, creed and social standing imaginable.
Our most trustworthy Creole and Cajun country friends will argue to the death that etouffee (pronounced ay-too-fay by the way) is not made with a roux. Add a roux and they’ll call it a stew or a fricassee. And they’re quick to add that you absolutely must “keep your damned tomatoes out of this recipe”.
Hells bells, some folks would no doubt argue that using a little red bell pepper along with the stand by green bell pepper violates tradition, though we like the color and the little bit of sweetness the red pepper brings to the table.
Recipes abound with tomatoes and utilizing a roux; we’ll stick with the no roux camp and this extraordinarily simple but divinely tasty Make Yo Mamma Proud Shrimp Etouffee.
It doesn’t matter how hot it is where ever you call home right now (it’s supposed to be 107 in Austin today and 94 in New Orleans), impress the hell out of the famdamily and cook this one up this weekend.
1 and 1/2 sticks butter (move over Paula)
4 cup white onion, chopped
1 and 1/2 cups green bell pepper, chopped
1 cup red bell pepper, chopped
2 cups celery, chopped (leaves included)
1 tbs fresh garlic, chopped fine
2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp cayenne
2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled, deveined and rinsed
2 tbs flour
2 cups homemade chicken stock, unsalted
1/2 cup chopped large leaf parsley
3/4 cup green onions, white and green parts, chopped small
Sweat the Cajun trinity. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the trinity – the onion, both bell peppers and the celery – and saute until limp and just beginning to caramelize (golden); it should take 10 minutes or so.
Stir in the garlic and cook for another couple of minutes.
Add the shrimp. Dump in the shrimp, salt and cayenne; mix well. Cook for 3 or 4 minutes until the shrimp begin to turn pink.
Thicken and simmer. Dissolve the flour in the broth and add to the skillet; still slowly until the mixture begins to thicken a bit. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for 7 or 8 minutes, stirring now and again.
Finish it up. Add the parsley and green onions, mix well and simmer for another couple of minutes. Fluff the white rice you’ve had cooking on a back burner.
Plate it up. Serve RIGHT NOW over white rice.
Make yo mamma proud. Have another helping.
Enjoy.
Tags: Friday Feast
