Shrimp Étouffée
By Rebeccah MarstersPublished on March 31, 2014
Time
2½ hours
Yield
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
9 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 9 pieces2 pounds extra-large shrimp (21 to 25 per pound), peeled and deveined, shells reserved3 onions, chopped3 celery ribs, choppedSalt and pepper 5 cups water 8 garlic cloves (2 peeled and smashed, 6 minced)1 tablespoon peppercorns 3 bay leaves 2 sprigs fresh thyme, plus 1 teaspoon minced½ cup all-purpose flour 1 green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped1 teaspoon smoked paprika ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes 3 scallions, sliced thin2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce Cooked white rice Hot sauce Lemon wedges
Before You Begin
You will need 3 cups of chopped onion and 1 1/2 cups of chopped celery, which are divided between the shrimp stock and the étouffée. If you can’t find shell-on shrimp, skip step 1 and substitute 3 cups of water, 1 (8-ounce) bottle of clam juice, and 3/4 teaspoon of salt for the stock in step 3.
Instructions
- Melt 1 tablespoon butter in Dutch oven over medium heat. Add shrimp shells, 2 cups onion, 1/2 cup celery, and 1 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until shells are spotty brown, about 10 minutes. Add water, smashed garlic, peppercorns, bay leaves, and thyme sprigs and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes. Strain shrimp stock through fine-mesh strainer set over large bowl, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible; discard solids. Wash and dry pot. (Stock can be refrigerated for 3 days or frozen for up to 1 month.)
- Toast flour in now-empty pot over medium heat, stirring constantly, until just beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Whisk in remaining 8 tablespoons butter until melted and combined with flour. Continue to cook, whisking constantly, until deep brown, 4 to 6 minutes.
- Add bell pepper, remaining onion, remaining celery, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring often, until vegetables are softened, 10 to 12 minutes. Add paprika, cayenne, minced garlic, and minced thyme and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes and their juice and cook until dry, about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in 4 cups shrimp stock until incorporated (reserve any remaining stock for another use). Bring to boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until slightly thickened, about 25 minutes.
- Season shrimp with salt and pepper, add to pot, and simmer until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Stir in scallions and Worcestershire. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve over rice with hot sauce and lemon wedges.
Time
2½ hoursYield
Serves 4 to 6Ingredients
9 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 9 pieces
2 pounds extra-large shrimp (21 to 25 per pound), peeled and deveined, shells reserved
3 onions, chopped
3 celery ribs, chopped
Salt and pepper
5 cups water
8 garlic cloves (2 peeled and smashed, 6 minced)
1 tablespoon peppercorns
3 bay leaves
2 sprigs fresh thyme, plus 1 teaspoon minced
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
3 scallions, sliced thin
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
Cooked white rice
Hot sauce
Lemon wedges
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
9 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 9 pieces
2 pounds extra-large shrimp (21 to 25 per pound), peeled and deveined, shells reserved
3 onions, chopped
3 celery ribs, chopped
Salt and pepper
5 cups water
8 garlic cloves (2 peeled and smashed, 6 minced)
1 tablespoon peppercorns
3 bay leaves
2 sprigs fresh thyme, plus 1 teaspoon minced
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
3 scallions, sliced thin
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
Cooked white rice
Hot sauce
Lemon wedges
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
9 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 9 pieces
2 pounds extra-large shrimp (21 to 25 per pound), peeled and deveined, shells reserved
3 onions, chopped
3 celery ribs, chopped
Salt and pepper
5 cups water
8 garlic cloves (2 peeled and smashed, 6 minced)
1 tablespoon peppercorns
3 bay leaves
2 sprigs fresh thyme, plus 1 teaspoon minced
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
3 scallions, sliced thin
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
Cooked white rice
Hot sauce
Lemon wedges
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
This bayou staple is all about a deep, complex roux, and fresh, sweet seafood. For a flavorful base, we make our own stock using shrimp shells and a handful of aromatics. Toasting the dry flour before adding the butter speeds up the roux without sacrificing flavor—we get a deep mahogany mixture in only minutes. The holy trinity—onion, celery, and green bell pepper—is a Creole must, and we round out these traditional flavors with tomato, thyme, garlic, paprika, and cayenne. Adding the shrimp during the last 5 minutes of cooking keeps it tender, and a final addition of Worcestershire, along with a squeeze of lemon, brightens it up.
Before You Begin
You will need 3 cups of chopped onion and 1 1/2 cups of chopped celery, which are divided between the shrimp stock and the étouffée. If you can’t find shell-on shrimp, skip step 1 and substitute 3 cups of water, 1 (8-ounce) bottle of clam juice, and 3/4 teaspoon of salt for the stock in step 3.
Instructions
- Melt 1 tablespoon butter in Dutch oven over medium heat. Add shrimp shells, 2 cups onion, 1/2 cup celery, and 1 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until shells are spotty brown, about 10 minutes. Add water, smashed garlic, peppercorns, bay leaves, and thyme sprigs and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes. Strain shrimp stock through fine-mesh strainer set over large bowl, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible; discard solids. Wash and dry pot. (Stock can be refrigerated for 3 days or frozen for up to 1 month.)
- Toast flour in now-empty pot over medium heat, stirring constantly, until just beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Whisk in remaining 8 tablespoons butter until melted and combined with flour. Continue to cook, whisking constantly, until deep brown, 4 to 6 minutes.
- Add bell pepper, remaining onion, remaining celery, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring often, until vegetables are softened, 10 to 12 minutes. Add paprika, cayenne, minced garlic, and minced thyme and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes and their juice and cook until dry, about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in 4 cups shrimp stock until incorporated (reserve any remaining stock for another use). Bring to boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until slightly thickened, about 25 minutes.
- Season shrimp with salt and pepper, add to pot, and simmer until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Stir in scallions and Worcestershire. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve over rice with hot sauce and lemon wedges.
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