Shrimp Étouffée

This recipe was originally written for crawfish, but due to crawfish being used in other dishes at this meal, we substituted shrimp instead. It will take a little time for chopping prep, but the dish doesn't take that long to cook once you have the prep work completed.  If you use crawfish, adjust the cooking time by about 10 - 12 minutes. Serve over freshly cooked white rice.

1 stick butter

1/2 cup of chopped celery

1 cup of chopped onion

1/2 cup of chopped bell pepper

1/2 cup of chopped green onion

1/4 cup of chopped parsley

2 cups of water (in all)

1 t. of salt, or more, to taste

1/2 t. cayenne, or more, to taste

1/4 t. black pepper, or more, to taste

1 1/2 lbs. pounds of medium shrimp, shelled and deveined

2 t. of cornstarch

Melt the butter in a large heavy skillet over medium heat.

Add the celery, onion, bell pepper, green onion, and parsley and saute for 4 - 5 minutes or until vegetables are soft, but not brown.

,,

Add 1 3/4 cup of water, salt, cayenne, and black pepper.  Cook, stirring often, for 20 minutes.

Add the shrimp and stir to incorporate. Dissolve the cornstarch in the remaining 1/4 cup water and add it to the shrimp mixture, stirring for five minutes or until mixture thickens slightly.

Cook for 5 more minutes over low heat.  Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes. 

Serve over steamed rice.

Makes 6 servings.

Thank you, Sheila Darjean, St. Landry's parish!  I hope you don't mind that we adapted your recipe from crawfish to shrimp this time!