comScore
ADVERTISEMENT

Shrimp Étouffée is a Celebration of Cajun Flavours

Shrimp Étouffée on a white plate
Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
15 min
Yields
4 servings

Celebrate Black History Month by bringing the great taste of Louisiana into your kitchen. Together with French, Spanish and Indigenous American influences, African Americans are credited with creating Cajun cuisine as we know it today. This bright and vibrant Cajun Shrimp Étouffée recipe features the “Cajun Holy Trinity” of onions, bell pepper and celery and comes together in just 30 minutes. Étouffée means “smothering,” a technique that is applied in this recipe by coating the shrimp in a rich gravy-like sauce. While étouffée is both a Cajun and Creole cooking technique, this recipe leans more towards Cajun style of étouffée because it has a thicker, gravy-like consistency. One thing’s for certain: this dish will have you hooked on the lively flavours of Cajun cooking.

ADVERTISEMENT

ingredients

Cajun Spice Blend

1
tsp sea salt
¾
tsp paprika
¼
tsp dried thyme
¼
tsp dried oregano
¼
tsp cayenne pepper
¼
tsp garlic powder
¼
tsp onion powder
¼
tsp ground black pepper

Shrimp Étouffée

2
pounds raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
Sea salt, to taste
Cayenne pepper, to taste
1
Tbsp olive oil
3
Tbsp salted butter
1
small yellow onion, diced
1
medium green bell pepper, diced
2
stalks celery, thinly sliced
2
Tbsps all-purpose flour
½
cup canned diced tomatoes
1 ¾
cups chicken stock, plus ¼ cup if needed
½
tsp Worcestershire sauce
Cooked white rice or cauliflower rice, for serving
¼
cup green onions, sliced
ADVERTISEMENT

directions

Step 1

Combine ingredients for the Cajun spice blend in a small bowl, mix and set aside.

Step 2

Toss the shrimp in a bowl with a dash of salt and cayenne pepper, to taste. Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat and cook the shrimp for about 30 seconds per side. The shrimp should not be fully cooked (it will finish cooking later in the simmering sauce). Transfer the shrimp into a bowl and keep warm until the juices from the shrimp seep into the bowl. Pour the shrimp juices into the chicken stock to bring the serving size to 2 cups. Supplement with additional chicken stock if necessary.

Shrimp sautéing in a pan for Shrimp Étouffée
Step 3

In the same pan over medium-high heat, add salted butter. Sauté  onions, bell pepper and celery for about 5 minutes until fragrant. Add in the entire Cajun spice blend and mix, then add in flour and mix for 2 minutes. Add in diced tomatoes and whisk in chicken stock and Worcestershire sauce, then bring to a simmer and cook for 5-7 minutes until the sauce is slightly reduced and forms a gravy-like consistency. Finally, return the shrimp to the étouffée and cook for 1 minute.

Related: Sweet and Sour Shrimp and Tofu Recipe

Step 4

Serve with rice and garnish with green onions.

Shrimp Étouffée wth rice on a plate

Rate Recipe

My rating for Shrimp Étouffée is a Celebration of Cajun Flavours
ADVERTISEMENT