Ex Boyfriend Étouffée

Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven set over medium heat. Add the flour and stir continuously to make a roux. Stir the roux over medium heat for about 5 to 7 minutes. (Please note that the All Purpose Flour can be subbed out for Gluten Free flour without a problem if you’re gluten intolerant. I generally use Bob’s Red Mill AP GF Flour).

Add the onions, bell peppers, celery, lemon zest, and garlic to the roux, and cook, stirring often, for 10 minutes. It’s going to seem like there isn’t enough roux for all those veggies… but have faith. If it gets too dry, feel free to add ½ a cup of the shrimp stock.

Add the tomatoes to the pot and season with the bay leaves, salt, and 1 tablespoon of the Creole Seasoning (I use Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning because I’m lazy. Feel free to whip up your own combination of spicy goodness). Cook the tomatoes for 2 to 3 minutes and then whisk in the shrimp stock.

Bring the mixture to a boil, and reduce to a simmer. Cook the etouffee, stirring occasionally, for 45 minutes. Most of the veggies should be homogenized into a nice stewy-flavory-thick broth by now. If you like your Étouffée with chunks, you can cook it for a little less time. If you prefer it completely chunk-free, feel free to use an immersion blender to blend it up a bit.

Season the shrimp with the remaining tablespoon of Creole Seasoning and add them to the pot, stirring to evenly distribute. Cook the shrimp for 5 to 7 minutes, or until they are cooked through.

Add ¼ cup of the chopped parsley to the pot and stir to combine.

Serve immediately over steamed white rice and garnish with sliced green onion tops & left over chopped parsley.

Please note that if you’re really interested in the Creole experience, you’ll also need to serve your delish Ex Boyfriend Étouffée with soft, white, crusty French bread. Something about 2 starches in 1 meal seems wrong to me… But you never can judge (crazy Creoles).

xxo – Chutzpah