Shrimp Etouffée

Serves 3-4 people

Adapted by me and my mother-in-law, Ellen Cottrell, from a recipe for “Crayfish Etouffée” submitted by Mrs. Richard D. Chappuis, Jr. to the Talk About Good: Le Livre de la Cuisine de Lafayette, first published by the members of the Lafayette Junior League in 1969.

1 lb. peeled shrimp (we like large or extra large, not jumbo)
1-1/2 sticks butter or margarine
1/2 tablespoon flour
1 medium onion

Melt butter in skillet. Add flour and stil until blended. Add chopped onion, bell pepper, celery, and garlic, and cook until tender. Add shrimp and cover. Let this cook about 15 minutes or until shrimp is pink, stirring occasionally. Add salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper to taste, green onion tops, and parsley. Let sit awhile until seasonings blend (it’s best after a couple of hours). Serve over rice.

We enjoy this served with a side salad and a loaf of French bread.

NOTE: If you have good crawfish tails, they can be substituted for the shrimp. Don’t ever buy Chinese crawfish!

Bon appétit!

P.S. After living in Lafayette, Louisiana for several years and learning to make roux, gumbo, creole, and etouffée, Talk About Good is my most reliable cookbook to get the tastes we remember from the wonderful Cajun community there. The link in the title is my Amazon affiliate link to this classic cookbook.