Crawfish & Shrimp Étouffée

01/11/2017

January 10th is a day that will make me smile for years to come! Last year on this day, my now fiancé and I were gallivanting around New Orleans. He had never visited this favorite city of mine, so I had a grand time showing him the sites and visiting with dear friends. On the last day of the trip, before heading to the airport, we took one last stroll around the French Quarter. As we passed through Jackson Square, where street musicians filled our ears with jazz and the sweet smell of beignets lingered in the air, my darlin' popped the question! It was the perfect day and we celebrated the memory this past weekend with a big ol' pot of etouffée! Cajun etouffée is usually made with just crawfish, but you will find the dish with shrimp being the star of the show as well. Since we were celebrating, I decided to make it with both!

Crawfish & Shrimp Etouffée

1 stick of butter
1/4 cup flour
1 pound peeled crawfish tails
1 pound peeled shrimp
1 cup chopped white onion
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped bell pepper
1 tablespoon minced garlic (or garlic powder)
2 cups diced tomatoes (fresh or canned)
2 cups seafood stock (chicken stock will work as well)
1 teaspoon cayanne pepper (or more!)
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons dried oregano (or 1 tablespoon fresh, chopped)
1 teaspoon dried thyme (or 1/2 tablespoon fresh, chopped)
1 teaspoon paprika (preferably smoked)
1 tablespoon worcestershire
1/4 cup chopped parsley
Chopped green onions to garnish (optional)

Start by making a roux. When I make gumbo, I usually use oil for my roux. With etouffée, I prefer to use butter for a richer flavor. Heat a dutch oven and melt the stick of butter. Whisk in flour and continue stirring the mixture on medium high heat until it reaches a color that is a little bit lighter than peanut butter.

Add your holy trinity (onions, bell pepper, & celery) and minced garlic. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add tomatoes and spices and cook for another 5-10 minutes, stirring frequently.

Stir in seafood stock and bring the mixture to a boil. Turn down to medium low and simmer for 45 minutes. Add crawfish tails and worcestershire, cook an additional 15 minutes.