Save to Pinterest This dish features succulent shrimp slowly simmered in a robust, roux-based Creole sauce enriched with the holy trinity of vegetables—onion, bell pepper, and celery. Aromatic seasonings including smoked paprika, cayenne, and Creole blend infuse deep flavor. Served atop fluffy long-grain white rice, the components harmonize to create an authentic Louisiana experience. Garnished with fresh parsley and green onions, the meal balances spice, texture, and tradition in every bite.
The first time I had étouffée was at this tiny roadside spot outside New Orleans where the waitress called me baby and the roux took forty minutes. I've been chasing that flavor ever since, and this recipe gets me pretty close to home.
Last Mardi Gras I made a triple batch for friends who'd never had Creole food before. The kitchen smelled like butter and paprika and they kept sneaking tastes straight from the pot until finally I had to literally shoo everyone away so we could actually sit down to eat.
Ingredients
- Large shrimp: I buy them already peeled because twenty minutes of deveining will make you hate cooking real fast
- Unsalted butter: Use real butter here because the flavor carries the whole sauce
- All-purpose flour: This combines with butter to make your roux the foundation of everything good
- Medium onion: Finely chopped so it practically disappears into the sauce
- Green bell pepper: Part of the holy trinity that gives Creole cooking its backbone
- Celery stalks: The third member of that trinity dont skip it
- Garlic cloves: Minced fresh because jarred garlic has this weird tinny taste
- Diced tomatoes: Keep the juice because that liquid is pure flavor gold
- Seafood or chicken stock: Homemade shrimp stock will change your life but store bought works
- Creole seasoning: I keep a jar mixed up but Tony Chachere's never lets me down
- Smoked paprika: Adds this subtle warmth that regular paprika just cant replicate
- Cayenne pepper: Start small because you can always add more heat but you cant take it back
- Bay leaf: Toss it in whole and fish it out later like a little aromatic treasure
- Fresh parsley: Brightens up all that rich sauce right at the end
- Green onions: Slice these right before serving so they stay crisp and pretty
- Long-grain white rice: Rinse it until the water runs clear or your rice will be gummy
- Lemon wedges: A squeeze over the top cuts through all that richness perfectly
Instructions
- Get your rice going first:
- Rinse that rice until the water runs clear then boil it with salt and let it steam while you make everything else
- Make your roux:
- Melt butter in a heavy skillet and whisk in flour stirring constantly for about four minutes until it turns this lovely caramel color
- Add the holy trinity:
- Toss in your onion bell pepper and celery and let them soften for about seven minutes
- Wake up the garlic:
- Stir in the minced garlic for just one minute until your whole kitchen smells amazing
- Build the sauce:
- Dump in those tomatoes with all their juice plus the spices and bay leaf
- Add the stock:
- Pour it in gradually while stirring like your life depends on it to prevent any lumps
- Let it thicken:
- Simmer for about fifteen minutes until the sauce coats the back of a spoon
- Cook the shrimp:
- Add them to the sauce and cook just three to five minutes until they turn pink because overcooked shrimp is basically rubber
- Finish and serve:
- Stir in parsley grab that bay leaf out and spoon everything over your fluffy rice with green onions on top
Save to Pinterest My grandmother would hover over the roux with this wooden spoon tasting every thirty seconds and declaring it not quite there yet. Now I find myself doing the exact same thing standing over the stove waiting for that perfect moment when the flour taste finally disappears.
Making It Your Own
Crawfish works beautifully if you can get them fresh or frozen. Sometimes I throw in a handful of okra at the end because my mama swore it thickened the sauce just right.
What To Serve With It
Crusty French bread is nonnegotiable for sopping up every last drop. A simple green salad with vinegar dressing cuts through the richness and maybe some cornbread if you're feeling particularly generous.
Leftovers And Storage
This actually tastes better the next day when all the flavors have had time to really know each other. Store the sauce and rice separately and reheat gently with a splash of water or stock to loosen it up.
- The sauce keeps for three days in the fridge
- Freeze it without the shrimp if you're planning ahead
- Add shrimp fresh when you reheat so they don't turn tough
Save to Pinterest There's something about spooning that sauce over rice that just feels like coming home. Enjoy every bite.
Common Questions
- → What is the holy trinity in this dish?
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The holy trinity refers to a mix of finely chopped onion, green bell pepper, and celery that forms the flavorful base of many Creole dishes.
- → Can I adjust the spice level?
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Yes, cayenne pepper amount can be modified to suit your heat preference, or omitted for a milder taste.
- → What type of rice is best for serving?
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Long-grain white rice cooked fluffy and light provides the perfect bed to absorb the rich sauce.
- → Are there substitutions for shrimp?
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Crawfish can be used as an alternative seafood option to maintain traditional flavors.
- → How is the roux prepared?
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Butter and flour are cooked together until a light caramel color forms, creating a blonde roux that thickens the sauce.
