It only seems fitting after sharing my thoughts earlier this week on my stay at Disney’s Port Orleans French Quarter (POFQ), that I chose to re-create a creole/cajun recipe that I not only enjoyed at POFQ, but also many years ago at the Epcot Food & Wine Festival. I give to you the latest installment of Disney at Home, the recipes for Shrimp Etouffee and Hurricanes!
Back in 2009, New Orleans was a special featured addition to the World Showcase promenade during the festival; complete with a stage, a band, and amazing food and drink. Served up at the food booth that year was Crawfish Etouffee, Chicken and Andouille Gumbo and Praline Bread Pudding with Bourbon Caramel Sauce. Abita beer and a Sazerac Cocktail were served to round out and compliment the food choices. This was the first time I ever tasted etouffee. I was hooked!
So what is etouffee you ask? Etouffee is derived from the french word etouffer, which means “to smother”. This is a popular method of cooking in Louisiana. Typically, etouffee is a dish found in both cajun and creole cuisine served with shellfish over rice.
Shrimp etouffee brings together seafood, a flour-and-oil roux, the “Holy Trinity” of onion, celery and green pepper, traditional Cajun seasoning and hot sauce.
This dish leaves my taste buds craving for more! It’s simple in ingredients, complex in flavors. The layering of flavors creates a creamy, buttery and smooth seafood stew with just the right amount of heat. Go easy on the Tabasco though, too much and it may overpower the simplicity of the other ingredients.
Is your mouth watering yet? Let’s get to the recipe so you can make your own!
Shrimp Etouffee Recipe
Prep time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Yield: Serves 4 to 6
Note: You can use shrimp, crawfish, or crab for this recipe interchangeably.
Ingredients:
Optional Shrimp Stock:
Shells from 2 pounds of shrimp
top and bottom from 1 green pepper
1/2 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
5 bay leaves
Etouffee
2 pounds shrimp, shell on (remove shells for use in the shrimp stock, if not making your own stock, you can get shrimp already shelled)
1/4 cup vegetable oil or lard
Heaping 1/4 cup flour
1/2 large onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 to 2 jalapeno peppers, chopped
1 large celery stalk, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 pint shrimp stock (see above), or clam juice or pre-made fish or shellfish stock
1 Tbsp Cajun seasoning
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
1 Tbsp sweet paprika
Salt
3 green onions (scallions), chopped
Hot sauce to taste
Directions:
1. Make the shrimp stock: Pour 2 quarts of water into a pot and add all the shrimp stock ingredients. Bring to a boil, drop the heat down and simmer the stock gently for 45 minutes. Strain through a fine-meshed sieve into another pot set over low heat. You will only need about 2 cups of stock for this recipe. Use the leftover stock for soup, risotto, etc. It will last in the fridge for a week or frozen for up to three months.
2. Make the roux: To make the etouffee, start by making a roux. Heat the vegetable oil or lard in a heavy pot over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the flour, making sure there are no clumps. Let this cook, stirring often, until it turns a very brown; this should take about 10 minutes or so.
3. Add the vegetables: Add the celery, green pepper, jalapeño and onion, mix well and cook this over medium heat for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and cook another 2 minutes.
4. Slowly add shrimp stock, then the seasonings and the shrimp: Measure out 2 cups of the shrimp stock and slowly add it a little at a time, stirring constantly so it incorporates. The roux will absorb the stock and seize up at first, then it will loosen. Add additional stock as needed to make a sauce about the thickness of syrup. Add the Cajun seasoning, celery seed and paprika and mix well. Add salt to taste, then mix in the shrimp. Cover the pot, turn the heat to its lowest setting and cook for 10 minutes.
5. Add the green onions (scallions) and hot sauce to taste.
6. Serve over white rice with a cold beer or lemonade.
I happen to love Hurricanes, they are my favorite cocktail of all time, and a classic in New Orleans. Rather than beer, I made Hurricanes to pair with the etouffee.
Hurricane Recipe
2oz. Light rum
1oz. Dark rum
3oz. Orange juice
3oz. Pineapple juice
Splash Grenadine
Mix all ingredients in cocktail shaker. Pour over ice.
Enjoy!