Mais’ Lay Me Down, Dat’s Good Eatin Y’all!!!! This is another one of those dishes that just takes me home. Around these parts, BBQ and Tex-Mex reign supreme, of the two only one I really enjoy. When I have the time to make some good ole’ Cajun food I seize the moment and leave everyone slack jawed with content. Served on a bed of fluffy rice, this dish will please most anyone.  And don’t worry we will cover cooking rice in the near future. So if you have ever made burnt, hard, or mushy rice, I’m here to take your rice woes away. Don’t fret baby, it’ll all be ok.

Shrimp Etouffee

1 pound of shrimp, Peeled and deveined (set the peelings aside)

1 Stick of butter

2 Yellow Onions, small diced

2 Stalks of celery, small diced

1 Green Bell Pepper, small diced

1 teaspoon of fresh Thyme, chopped

1 teaspoon old bay seasoning

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 Bay Leaf

3 tablespoons of flour

½ teaspoon of tabasco

3 cups vegetable stock

First we are going to infuse our broth with shrimp flavor. To do so, we must first heat a tablespoon of vegetable oil over medium-high heat, in the bottom of a large Dutch oven. Once hot, add the shrimp peels and sauté until they turn a deep pink/orange color and become fragrant, about 3-4 minutes. Add the stock and bring to a simmer. Pour the contents of the pot into a large bowl and set aside. We will strain the stock directly into the recipe later.

* Allowing the peels to sit in the hot stock while the dish is being prepared will impart much more flavor to it. So don’t strain it right away.

Return the same pot to the heat and add the stick of butter. Once the butter melts, add the onion, garlic, celery, bell pepper, and thyme. Sauté the mixture until it becomes a nice golden brown color and reduces in size by half, about 15 to 20 minutes.

* This step is crucial to the flavor of the final product. You want to get an even, deep caramelization on all the vegetables. If you add the other ingredients too soon, you won’t be able to redeem it. It will be kind of lack luster. And we all know it’s not called Shrimp Mediocre, it’s Shrimp Etouffee.

Next add the shrimp and the spices. Cook this about 3-5 minutes, or until the shrimp are beginning to turn pink and the spices are fragrant. Stir in the flour and cook a couple more minutes. Place a strainer over the pot and pour the stock through the strainer into the vegetable mixture. Bring to a simmer and reduce the heat slightly. Place a lid over the pot, leaving a vent to let some of the moisture evaporate out, 20 minutes. Once about half of the stock cooks out, you may turn off the heat and add the tabasco.

Serve over white rice. Blend up a hurricanne or two while it simmers.