Chef John's Shrimp Étouffée

Shrimp étouffée is a spicy and delicious New Orleans classic. In this recipe, we're going to demonstrate that it is possible to get good results from using waterlogged frozen shrimp, which unfortunately is sometimes the only option. To make them work we've got to use a few tricks. I prefer this with little chunks of browned chicken or pork, actually.

• Preparation Time: 35 mins
• Cooking Time: 20 mins
• Total Time: 55 mins
• Calories: 424 Calories

Ingredients

• ½ teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• salt to taste
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined
• ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
• ¼ teaspoon white pepper
• ¾ teaspoon paprika
• ¼ teaspoon onion powder
• ⅓ cup diced onion
• ½ cup diced tomatoes
• ¼ cup sliced green onions
• ¼ teaspoon ground thyme
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, or as needed
• ⅓ cup thinly sliced celery
• 1 ¾ cups chicken stock, or as needed
• ⅓ cup diced green bell pepper
• 1 dash hot sauce, or more to taste
• 2 cups cooked rice, or to taste
• cayenne pepper for garnish

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Whisk paprika, thyme, oregano, cayenne, garlic powder, onion powder, white pepper, and black pepper together in a small bowl.

Step 2

Drain shrimp in a colander for at least 15 minutes. Transfer to a bowl lined with paper towels and dry shrimp for about 3 minutes. Remove paper towels from bowl. Season shrimp with salt and 1 teaspoon spice blend; toss to coat.

Step 3

Transfer shrimp to a large bowl. Let stand until juice collects in the bowl. Strain shrimp juices into chicken stock to total 2 cups, adding more chicken stock if necessary. Set aside.

Step 4

Garnish with green onions and a dusting of cayenne pepper. Pour over rice in large, shallow bowls.

Step 5

Heat oil in a large heavy skillet over high heat until oil is smoking. Cook shrimp in hot oil without stirring for 1 minute; stir, and cook 1 minute more.

Step 6

Melt butter in the same skillet over medium heat until butter begins to turn tan at the edges. Sauté onion, bell pepper, and celery in hot butter until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in remaining spice blend.

Step 7

Sprinkle flour into vegetable mixture and sauté until combined, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in tomatoes; cook until tomato juices begin to brown on bottom of pan, about 3 minutes. Whisk in chicken stock mixture, stirring until smooth. Bring to a simmer and cook until slightly thickened and reduced to a gravy consistency, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in Worcestershire and hot sauce. Season with salt to taste.

Step 8

Stir shrimp into étouffée sauce; let simmer until shrimp are cooked all the way through and no longer translucent, about 1 minute.