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Shrimp and Crawfiish Etouffee
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3.34 from 12 votes

Shrimp and Crawfish Etouffee

Ingredients

  • I took inspiration from Paul Prudhomme's recipe for Shrimp Etouffee. Judging from the amount of pepper black, white and cayenne, Chef Prudhomme must have a stronger constitution than I can ever imagine. I reduced the amount of cayenne from 2 teaspoons to 1/4 teaspoon and the amount of white pepper from 1 teaspoon to 1/2 teaspoon. While his ingredient list didn't specify kosher salt, that's what I used. Using my modifications, the spice blend seemed perfectly balanced. The use of table salt instead of kosher salt would have made the blend too salty. I recommend making an adjustment to the amount of salt if you prefer table salt to kosher.
  • I substituted olive oil for some of the butter without compromising the flavor and richness of the dish. The original ingredient list called for 6 to 8 tablespoons of unsalted butter. I only used three.
  • Additionally I increased the amount of vegetables in the trinity (onion, green bell pepper, celery). Instead of two pounds of shrimp, I used one pound of cooked crawfish tail meat and one pound of raw shrimp. If you have an aversion to crawfish, also called mudbugs, or can't find them, use two pounds of raw shrimp instead.
  • 3 cups seafood stock divided. (If you don't have seafood stock, substitute a good quality chicken or turkey stock but don't use plain water.)
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 10 to 11 tablespoons olive oil divided
  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 medium sweet onion finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup celery with leaves finely choppped
  • 1/2 cup green bell pepper finely chopped
  • 3 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 1 pound peeled raw shrimp
  • 1 pound crawfish tail meat cooked, peeled and deveined
  • 1 cup green onions finely chopped
  • hot cooked rice

Instructions

  • Mix salt, peppers, basil and thyme together. Set aside.
  • kosher salt, cayenne pepper, black pepper, white pepper, dried basil and dried thyme
  • Heat 7 tablespoons olive oil in a heavy pot until smoking ( 3 to 4 minutes). Gradually whisk in flour. Whisk until roux is about the color of peanut butter (3 to 4 minutes). You must whisk constantly and don't take your eye off the roux even for one minute. It starts browning quickly. If you burn the roux, dump it out and start over.
  • Remove from heat and add prepared onions, celery and bell pepper and one tablespoon of the dry seasoning mix. Keep stirring constantly until the roux has cooled, approximately 5 minutes.
  • Bring stock to boil in a large saucepan. Gradually whisk in roux. After it's well incorporated, reduce heat, continue stirring and cook for an additional two minutes. Set pot aside.
  • Heat 3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil in a large saucepan (at least 4 quart) over medium high heat. Add shrimp and green onions. Cook for 2 minutes, constantly stirring.
  • Add cooked crawfish meat.
  • cooked crawfish tail meat goes into the pot
  • Gently stir it in.
  • Add the gravy and three tablespoons of butter to the pan with the seafood and onions. Shake the pan until the butter metlts. Add remaining dry spice mixture, stir and remove from heat.
  • For each serving, make a ring of rice in a serving bowl, add etouffee in the center. Serve immediately.
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