Shrimp and Crabmeat Etouffee
We love the time of year when Mardi Gras starts to draw near, as it brings back a flood of wonderful memories of our years spent in this spectacular city at the mouth of the Mississippi. This is another classic New Orleans dish with a few short cuts that's full of flavorful seafood with a little Cajun kick! Use fresh seafood if you can, it will make for a much tastier dish.
There are numerous versions of etouffees you can make. The meats can vary from crawfish, shrimp, crabmeat, chicken or a combination, and then there are subtle differences to your choices of seasonings among etoufees so you need to decide if you want to go cajun or creole? We went more Cajun in this dish, though the allure of more subtle Creole flavors is not lost on us.
This is a relatively easy dish, and we made this version without going through all the additional work of making the traditional roux. This tends to intimidate some who would love to try the flavors of Naw'lins but are nervous of the necessary steps. This dish is similar to gumbo, but it's got a reputation as a bit more refined. Don't let that fool you! This is still good old home cooking!
Best of all, this is a pretty healthy meal that is low in calories and fat, while also being a good source of protein. So, it tastes great and it's good for those watching their weight. It doesn't get much better than that!
- 1 cup chopped onions
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon California Granulated Garlic
- 2 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1/4 cup all-purpose or whole wheat flour
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/8 teaspoon Cayenne Chile Powder
- 2 teaspoons Tabasco sauce
- 1 1/2 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 8 ounces lump crabmeat
- 1/4 cup green onions, chopped
- 3 cups cooked Basmati or brown rice
- Top with fresh chives or minced fresh parsley
- In a large stockpot, sauté onions and celery in olive oil until softened, about 10 minutes. Stir in California Granulated Garlic.
- In a separate bowl, combine chicken broth and flour and stir until smooth.
- Add to stockpot with the celery mixture and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until thickened, about 30 minutes.
- Add lemon juice, Cayenne Pepper, and Tabasco sauce. Add shrimp and cook about 5 minutes.
- Add crabmeat, and green onions and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
- Serve over rice.
