Shrimp Etouffee

Needing to free up some room in my freezer, I decided to use one of the 10lbs. of shrimp that was stocked in there from my last trip to New Orleans. I wasn't in the mood for a pasta dish, and didn't feel like grilling them so I browsed the web until I found something to satisfy my fancy. I used the recipe for stock and the etouffee from THIS website. I visit this site often when I am in the mood for some good cajun recipes, not one has failed me yet.

I served this with rice and crusty french bread, what else?

Shrimp Etouffee

• 1lb. 20/25 size shrimp shells removed and reserved for stock
• 2 Tbsp Creole Seasoning
• 4 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
• 1/2 Cup Onion, Finely Chopped
• 1/4 Cup Celery, Finely Chopped
• 1/4 Cup Bell Pepper, Finely Chopped
• 1/4 Cup Flour
• 3/4 Cup fresh Tomatoes, diced
• 1 1/2 Cups Shrimp Stock (I actually used 3 + cups. and at the end I added a flour slurry to thicken a bit)
• 2 Tbsp Minced Garlic
• bundle of Fresh Thyme
• 2 tsp Homemade Worcestershire (I used store bought)
• tsp Hot Sauce (I use Crystal)
• 1/2 Cup Green Onions, thinly sliced
• 3 Tbsp minced Italian Parsley
• 3 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
• Salt & Freshly Ground Black Pepper to taste

Season the shrimp with 1 Tbsp of the Creole Seasoning.Melt the butter in a large cast iron skillet, add the onions, bell pepper, and celery, saute until translucent. Whisk in the flour to make a blonde roux, stirring constantly, about 3-5 minutes. Stir in the remaining Creole Seasoning. Add a small amount of the shrimp stock, stir well to form a paste, add the remaining stock gradually, whisking constantly. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. You may need a little more stock, but the end result should be the consistency of a gravy, not too thick, not too thin.Add the tomatoes, garlic, Thyme, Worcestershire, and hot sauce, a little salt, black pepper, and Cayenne. Simmer for 20-30 minutes.Add the shrimp, green onions, and parsley, simmer for 10 minutes more or until the shrimp are cooked through. Stir in the 3 Tbsp butter, and adjust the seasonings to taste.