Shrimp étouffée brings together all of the staples of Cajun cooking in an amazing stew: Shrimp, a flour-and-butter roux, onion, celery and green pepper, traditional Cajun seasoning and of course, a dash or two of hot sauce. Étouffée means “smothered,” as you smother meat or fish in a flavorful sauce.

If you are from Louisiana and are passionate about your étouffée , there may be some argument over using a roux with shrimp... and of course the biggest debate: why add tomatoes? I've tried this recipe with and without and by far, this recipe has the most flavor and color, using a roux, one seafood, hot sauce, and tomato. But you can customize this recipe as you wish.

• 2 lbs. uncooked white jumbo shrimp, shells on

• 1/2 cup preferred all purpose flour

• 8 TBSN preferred butter

• One 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes, drained

• 2 jalapeno peppers, chopped (save the tops and seeds for the stock)

• 1 TBSN minced garlic

• 1/2 green pepper, chopped

• 1/2 large yellow onion, chopped

• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped celery

• Cajun hot sauce (I recommend either Tabasco or Louisiana's Crystal Hot Sauce)

• Steamed white rice, for serving

• 1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions for garnish

For Creole Seasoning:

• 1 TBSN Cajun seasoning

• 1 TBSN celery seed

• 1 TBSN smoked paprika

• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

• 1 teaspoon dried thyme

• 2 teaspoons salt

For Shrimp Stock:

• Shells and tails removed from the 2 lbs of shrimp

• 1/2 large yellow onion, finely diced

• 8 oz clam juice

• 2 quarts water

• 1/2 green pepper, finely chopped. Include the seeds.

• chopped tops of the jalapeno peppers

• 2 TBSN minced garlic

• 3 bay leaves

Large colander, large stockpot, large bowl, mixing spoon, whisk, sharp knife, measuring cups Prep: 90 minutes prep Cook: 30 minutes Ready: 2 hours Serves: 4-6

Before you handle any food, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water. Clean your kitchen work area and pull back your hair or wear a cap. You want to avoid contaminating your meal with harmful bacteria that could cause food illness.

To make Louisiana Shrimp Étouffée :

1 Make the shrimp stock:

Remove the shells and tails from the shrimp. Place shrimp in a large colander, and add shells and tails to large stockpot.

Combine the shrimp shells and stock ingredients listed above to a large stockpot.

Add clam juice and 2 quarts water and bring to a boil over high heat. Skim to remove any foam that rises to the surface.

Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, for 45 minutes, skimming occasionally and pressing on solids ingredients to release juice into the stock.

Remove the stock from the heat and strain through a colander into a large clean bowl; Press on solids to release as much juice as possible. Sit the stock aside to cool.

Discard any shrimp shells and solids remaining in the colander.

TIP- You can refrigerate the stock for up to one week.

2. Make a roux:

Melt the butter in a large stock pot and over low heat.

Slowly add flour a little at a time and stir continuously to prevent clumping.

Increase to medium heat and stir the roux often until it reaches the color of peanut butter, about 5-7 minutes. Do not overcook the roux.

3. Add the onions, bell peppers, jalapeno, celery, tomatoes, and garlic to the roux and cook for 10 minutes, stirring often.

4. Ladle in the shrimp stock a little at a time until the stew is the thickness of syrup.

5. Add all of the seasonings and, finally, the shrimp. The roux will absorb the shrimp stock and begin to thicken. Add stock to maintain a gravy-like texture.

5. Cover the pot and bring the mixture to a boil, and immediately reduce to a low simmer for 10 minutes.

6. Serve immediately over steamed white rice, add dashes of hot sauce to taste, and garnish the top with sliced green onions.

1 serving: 315 calories, 9 g fat (4 g saturated fat), 330 mg cholesterol, 1300 mg sodium, 15 g carbohydrate (6 g sugars, 2 g fiber), 40 g protein.

Shrimp contains zero carbs, and is also very low in calories (approximately 1 calorie/1 gram of shrimp). As an organic life form, shrimp is packed with protein and is composed primarily of water, but there is also a small amount of fat as well. However, the most beneficial aspect of shrimp is the treasure trove of vitamins and nutrients that it contains. You can fill out your daily mineral intake of iron, calcium, sodium, phosphorus, zinc, magnesium, and potassium, along with vitamin A, vitamin E, and B6, and even vitamin B12! Shrimp also contains iodine, thiamin, riboflavin, and niacin.

White wines, but not in this case. Because of the sauce's spicy richness, you’ll want to choose a wine with body and texture. Chenin Blanc from the Loire Valley in France is a good option because it has a sweet, honeyed. stone-fruit flavor.

Voodoo Shrimp & Crawfish Étouffée

Replace half the water with 2 bottles of dark voodoo stout beer, replace one pound of shrimp with one pound of crawfish. Use crawfish shells with shrimp shells when making the stock.