This recipe for shrimp étouffée has been passed down to me from my mother. She learned it from her paternal grandmother who we affectionately called Maw Maw. She was born in 1910 so this is at minimum 70 years of Creole food tradition. You won't find a more authentic shrimp étouffée recipe than this one.
Étouffée literally means "smother" in French so naturally the gravy will be thicker than what you'd find in the average stew. While making this dish the sauce will resemble a paste for he majority of the time. Don't let that fool you though because most of the liquid in this dish comes from condensation as the roux cooks and the shrimp. Once they are added at the end you'll have a sauce that is thick, rich, and creamy.
Ingredients
2 lbs. of large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 stick of butter
1/2 cup of flour
1 medium sized onion
1 medium sized green bell pepper
2 stalks of celery
1 bunch of green onions
1 tbsp of Creole Seasoning
1 1/2 cups of shrimp broth or water
Instructions
Chop onion, celery, and bell pepper and then set to the side. Melt butter in a pot on medium heat. Then add flour and stir creating a roux. Stir continuously for 20 minutes until roux is the color of peanut butter. Turn fire to lowest setting and then add 1 cup of shrimp broth or water and Creole seasoning. Next add the chopped vegetables to the roux, mix thoroughly, and then cover pot with lid. Cook for 60 minutes on low heat, stirring periodically.
After cooking for 60 minutes, add shrimp to pot and stir into roux. Cover and cook shrimp for 15 to 20 minutes. While shrimp is cooking chop green onions and set to the side. After shrimp are done turn off fire and add another 1/2 cup of shrimp broth or water and the green onions to the pot. Stir to completely mix ingredients. Serve over rice and enjoy!