Shrimp Etouffe

The all-time greatest. I made this a lot when we lived in Louisiana, and you could buy fresh, never-frozen gulf shrimp with the heads on for $2.99 a pound – maybe a few bucks more than that when they were out of season.

Now that we’re back in New York, those same shrimp – when we can get them – sell for $20/pound, and don’t have heads. I bought some the other day and in addition to spending $40 on shrimp, the stock that I made with the shells just didn’t pack the punch without the heads. So if you can’t get the right stuff, you might not want to bother. I sometimes augment the stock I make without heads with bottled lobster juice or even clam juice – just a little something to kick up the shellfishy brine.

Also, gulf shrimp are beyond compare. There is something in the sweetness and something in the snap that you just don’t find anywhere else that I know of around the country.

There’s a lot else to say about the magnificence of this dish but the more time I spend writing about it the longer it’s going to be before you start cooking it, and far be it from me to stand in the way of you and what is no doubt one particular pinnacle of creole – or southern, for that matter – cooking. The other thing about this is that between the etouffee and the rice, you’re going to use a whole stick of butter. Just suck it up, ok?

Ingredients:

• 7 TBSP unsalted butter
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 rib celery, small dice
• ½ a red bell pepper, small dice
• ¼ cup Wondra or AP flour
• ¾ cup fresh tomatoes, diced
• 4-5 cups shrimp stock
• 2 TBSP minced garlic
• 1 small bundle fresh thyme, leaves stripped and minced
• 1 tsp hot sauce
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced
• 3 TBSP minced parsley
• 2.5 lb fresh head-on shrimp
• Juice of ½ lemon
• 2 TBSP unsalted Creole Seasoning (I make my own – recipe below – but you can buy many different kinds…most are meant to be a kind of substitute for salt, so that is there main ingredient – so beware of these kinds. Generally, all the salt you want in a dish is salt you add yourself. AMCOS – Always maintain control over salinity!)
• Salt and pepper
• 1 batch long grain rice like basmati (my favorite) or jasmine or one of the American hybrids

Directions:

OK here we go. First thing you want to do is remove the heads, tails, and shells from the shrimp so you can get going on the stock. You could always use a great stock that you made at another time, or one that you’ve bought if you happen to find a quality one. But otherwise you’ll be making everything from scratch from your one batch of shrimp.

As you shell the shrimp, devein them and set aside in a bowl. When all the shrimp are shelled and in the bowl, drain any excess water and toss with one tablespoon of the creole seasoning.

Here’s the recipe:

• 1/3 cup paprika (or smoked paprika called Pimentón)
• ¼ cup granulated garlic
• ¼ cup onion powder
• ¼ cup ground pepper (I like to mix black and white for this, but it doesn’t really matter to me)
• 2 TBSP cayenne pepper
• 2 TBSP dried thyme
• 2 TBSP dried oregano
• 1 TBSP dried basil

Mix thoroughly and store in a tightly sealed container for up to a year if necessary.

Once you’ve done that, go about making your stock, which can be found here.

Next you’re going to melt 4 TBSP of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Wait until it’s foamy, then add the Holy Trinity – the creole term for their version of the mirepoix. Do not add the garlic yet.

Sauté the vegetables, stirring almost constantly, until soft and translucent but not browned. Then add the Wondra or flour. Stir until all the juices and fat have been absorbed, then cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly. You are trying to make a blonde roux, but don’t want it to stick to the bottom. You’re not working with ultra high heat here, so it shouldn’t be too much of a problem. Add the remainder of the creole seasoning, toss to combine, and then add a small amount of shrimp stock. Stir to form a paste, then slowly add about 4 cups worth, stirring constantly to combine. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.

Add the tomatoes, garlic, hot sauce, thyme, salt and pepper, and a little cayenne if you like.

Simmer for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mixture has thickened somewhat and cohered. The telltale sign here really is your tomatoes: you want them to melt almost completely into the sauce, so depending on the character of your tomatoes, you may have to simmer for 20 mins or you may have to simmer for 45. I like to add more hot stock in 1/4 cup allotments as I see it getting a little too thick, then continue the cycle as the tomatoes cook. When you can’t really tell where the tomato ends and the sauce begins, it’s time to add the shrimp. They’ll spring some water of their own, so I usually take it to the point in the cycle where it’s just slightly too thick.

Add the shrimp, the scallions, the parsley and the lemon juice and stir well. Simmer for 5-8 minutes, depending on your shrimp, until they’re cooked through. Mount with 3 TBSP of butter. (To be fair, you can get away without mounting with any butter and it’s still delicious, or mount with 1 TBSP only, and the same. Depends on who you’re cooking for, how much you want to impress them, and how much you care about the long term health of their arteries.)

Serve over rice – which you should cook with the remaining TBSP of butter in the stick – and enjoy immensely!