Mardi Gras Shrimp Étouffée (Printable version)
A vibrant Creole dish featuring shrimp in a spiced roux with onion, bell pepper, and celery.
# What You'll Need:
→ Seafood
01 - 1 lb large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails removed
→ Roux & Base
02 - 4 tbsp unsalted butter
03 - 4 tbsp all-purpose flour
→ Holy Trinity Vegetables
04 - 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
05 - 1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
06 - 2 celery stalks, finely chopped
→ Aromatics & Seasonings
07 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
08 - 1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes, drained
09 - 2 cups seafood or chicken stock
10 - 2 tsp Creole seasoning
11 - ½ tsp smoked paprika
12 - ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
13 - 2 bay leaves
14 - ½ tsp dried thyme
15 - ½ tsp salt
16 - ¼ tsp black pepper
→ Finishing & Serving
17 - 3 green onions, sliced
18 - 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
19 - Cooked white rice, for serving
20 - Lemon wedges, for garnish
# How to Prepare:
01 - Melt butter in a large heavy-bottomed skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture turns medium brown (8–10 minutes).
02 - Add onion, bell pepper, and celery to the roux. Sauté for 5 minutes until vegetables are softened.
03 - Stir in garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
04 - Add drained tomatoes, Creole seasoning, smoked paprika, cayenne, bay leaves, thyme, salt, and black pepper. Mix well to combine.
05 - Gradually pour in stock while stirring. Bring to simmer and cook uncovered for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens and flavors meld.
06 - Add shrimp to pot and simmer for 5–7 minutes until pink and cooked through.
07 - Remove from heat, discard bay leaves, and stir in half the green onions and parsley. Serve hot over cooked white rice, garnished with remaining green onions, parsley, and lemon wedges.
# Expert advice:
01 -
- The depth of flavor comes from that perfectly cooked roux, which develops a nutty complexity that shortcuts just cant replicate
- This dish freezes beautifully, so you can make a double batch and have instant Mardi Gras energy on busy weeknights
02 -
- That roux will go from perfect to burnt in seconds, so once it hits medium brown color, immediately move on to adding vegetables
- The sauce will continue thickening as it stands, so if it seems a bit loose while simmering, trust that it will tighten up beautifully
03 -
- Substitute half the butter with bacon fat if you really want to deepen the savory dimension
- Make this up to three days ahead, the flavors actually develop and marry beautifully in the refrigerator