Étouffée has a long history in Louisiana food culture. From a home dish served in bayou-side kitchens to fine dining in New Orleans restaurants, this meal is one that has made its rounds and been interpreted and reinterpreted time and again. In the second of our Steamboat recipe series, we will share Chef Jason Huguet’s method for cooking shrimp étouffée.
Shrimp Étouffée:
2 sticks real butter
1 medium onion, diced
3 tablespoons minced garlic
6 oz tomato sauce
4 teaspoons sugar
2 lbs. 70/90 count shrimp
2 cups of water
salt & cayenne pepper to taste
½ cup slurry (a mixture of ¼ cup corn starch and ¼ cup of either water, stock, or wine)
Set your rice to cooking before you start preparing the étouffée.
Melt butter in a medium-sized saucepan. Add in diced onion and minced garlic. Simmer until onions are clear. Add in tomato sauce and stir. Then add sugar. Stir occasionally for a few minutes. Then add in shrimp and season to taste. Let the shrimp cook until they are just turning pink then add 2 cups of water, stirring as you do. Bring the mixture back to a boil. Add the corn starch slurry gradually while mixing. Let cook for a few more minutes, then serve.
The shrimp in this recipe can easily be replaced by crawfish or seafood of your choice. The original intent behind étouffée was to cook what you had available. Don’t be scared to flex your culinary muscles and experiment.
Alternatively, if the recipe looks tasty, but you don’t trust your own culinary skills just yet, head to Steamboat Warehouse Restaurant in Washington to taste Chef’s recipes from the very hand that crafted them. You can also stop by any of our restaurants to get a true taste of St. Landry Parish. It would be worth it to plan a trip and hit all the best places to eat. See Where to Stay for accommodations and Food & Drink for all your foodie needs.
Mary Hawkins is the communications manager for the St. Landry Parish Tourist Commission. Contact her at hawkins@cajuntravel.com.
