RICHMOND, Va. -- Let’s take a trip to New Orleans! Today, Executive Chef Ausar AriAnkh of the Kitchen Magician Catering Company is here to show us how to create Shrimp Étouffée. For more information about Chef Ausar AriAnkh, check out hiswebsite.
Shrimp Étouffée
Serves 6
Ingredients
Cajun seasoning mix:
· ½ teaspoon minced fresh thyme
· ½ teaspoon oregano
· ½ teaspoon granulated garlic
· ½ teaspoon granulated onion
· ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
· ¼ teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
· ¼ teaspoon white pepper
· 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
· 1 teaspoon of Himalayan sea salt
Étouffée:
· ½ cup vegetable heat oil
· ½ cup all-purpose flour
· 1 ¼ cup EACH: minced onions AND minced green bell peppers
· ¾ cup stalks celery, minced
· 2 jalapeños, minced (ribs and seeds removed), optional
· 6 green onions, sliced
· 12 cloves garlic, minced
· 1 ½ cups shrimp/clam stock
· 2 bay leaves
· 2 tablespoons of cold butter
· 2 tablespoons of hot sauce
· 2 pounds of 16-20 shrimp, peeled and deveined
· Cooked rice, for serving
Instructions
1. ROUX: Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or a heavy bottom pot over medium-high heat. Whisk in the flour until combined and smooth, if the roux is cooking too quickly, lower the heat to medium. Switch to a wooden spoon and continuously stir for 20-25 minutes or until the roux darkens to just past a deep peanut butter color and is almost a little red in color. Do not let the roux burn, if it does you must throw it out and start over.
2. SIMMER: Once the roux reaches that deep rich brown color, stir in the onions, bell peppers, jalapeños, scallions (white part,) and celery and continue to cook, stirring as needed so the vegetables don’t stick. About 5-7 minutes or until the veggies soften. Add the garlic and continue to cook for an additional minute until the garlic is nice and fragrant. Add the shrimp stock, Cajun seasoning, hot sauce, bay leaves, and bring to a boil, lower the heat to low and allow the étouffée to simmer for 15 minutes.
3. FINISH: Add the shrimp, give it a stir and allow to continue to simmer for an additional 3-5 minutes or until the shrimp are opaque and cooked through. Turn off the heat, throw in the butter and stir so it melts into the étouffée. Remove the bay leaves, serve warm over rice topped with green onions! Enjoy!
