It’s Fat Tuesday! And, I find myself really missing New Orleans. While I’m only a short (haha) 10 hour drive away, I find when I’m missing something, I can always travel there through food (and without even leaving my kitchen!).
So, tonight, I traveled to New Orleans with one of my favorite dishes I ate last time we visited – Cajun Shrimp Étouffée. In simple terms, it’s a seafood sauce served over rice. It’s slowly cooked to bring out all the cajun flavors and when done right, it’s dynamite! Literally – it has heat!!
I served it over some rice and with a side of Hush Puppies for a true Mardi Gras style dinner and both my stomach and heart are happy.
Tell me, what are some of your favorite Southern dishes! I’d love to hear in the comments!
Cajun Shrimp Étouffée
Ingredients
- 1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 tablespoon cajun seasoning*
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- ⅓ cup butter
- ⅓ cup flour
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 2 ribs celery, chopped
- ¼ teaspoon thyme
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups fresh tomatoes, diced
- 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 bay leaves
- Salt & pepper to taste
- ¼ cup parsley
- ½ lemon, juiced
- Rice, for serving
Directions
- Toss shrimp with cajun seasoning. Heat oil over medium-high heat and add shrimp. Cook until shrimp just begins to turn pink, about 2 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.
- Melt butter over medium heat in a large skillet. Stir in flour and cook until the flour becomes the color of peanut butter, about 6-8 minutes.
- Add onions, celery, thyme and garlic and cook until slightly softened. Stir in the broth a bit at a time until smooth.
- Add tomatoes, Worcestershire and bay leaves and return to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered about 20 minutes. Add salt & pepper, to taste.
- Stir in the parsley, lemon juice and shrimp with any juices. Cook just until shrimp is heated through, do not overcook. Serve over rice. Enjoy!
Note: *If you don’t have any cajun seasoning, combine 2 teaspoons: of salt, garlic powder, paprika and 1 teaspoon: black pepper, onion powder, cayenne pepper, oregano and thyme.
Recipe adapted from spendwithpennies.com.
Season Generously 