Shrimp Etouffee

We've got fine posts about Gumbo, Natchidoches Meat Pies, and Jambalaya... so it's about time we made some etouffee!

As always, the Junior League of Lake Charles has some excellent recipes:

Ingredients:
 - 1.5 lbs shrimp (medium - extra large)
 - 1 onion
 - 1 bell pepper
 - 3 tomatoes
 - 4 stalks of celery
 - 5 green onions
 - 5 cloves of garlic
 - 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
 - 1/2 cup oil (we use canola)
 - 1-1/2 cup of rice

Assemble the veggies!

Chop chop chop~!

The tunics will garnish the dish, and the scales will go in the pot. 

Using 1/2 cup flour and oil, make a roux.

Blonde to light brown is our goal today.

Bell peppers take the longest to cook, so drop them in first.

When the holy trinity has cooked down slightly, stir in the tomatoes and garlic.

Add 4 cups water or stock.

Season the stew with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.

Now is the time to prepare the rice.  1.5 cups of long-grain white rice and 2.25 cups of water.

Simmer for 30 minutes and drop in the shrimp. 

Typically, etouffee is served over a big mound of rice, with a garnish of green onion tunics.  Since the spice level is mild, I like to keep the hot sauce nearby.