Recipe #14 - Seafood Etouffee

Yes, we skipped #13. Not that were triskaidekaphobics, but still...

Is it creole? Is it cajun? Is it French? We suspect it's all of the above in one way or another.

Regardless of the origin, the key to an etouffee is creating a dark roux, which will then thicken the rich, spicy sauce.

Most classic Louisiana etouffee recipes feature crawfish (aka crayfish), a freshwater crustacean resembling tiny lobsters. We often can't find fresh crawfish (despite our easy access to great fish retailers here in the Puget Sound area) so we're guessing you'll have the same problem. Thus we're substituting shrimp and crab, which are obviously more accessible to the masses.

Makes about six servings.

1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup white flour

1 large onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and diced
6 scallions, thinly sliced on the diagonal
2 stalks celery, chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
3 bay leaves
1/3 cup minced flat-leaf parsley
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper (more or less to taste)
14 oz. can tomato sauce
1.5 cups rich vegetable stock

1/2 lb. medium shrimp, shelled and deveined
1/2 lb. fresh crab meat

Heat oil in a sauce pan and add flour. Stir continuously over medium heat until the roux turns a deep brown color.

Add the onion, scallions, celery, bell pepper and garlic and cook, stirring often, until vegetables are softened and cooked through. Add the salt, cayenne, tomato sauce, stock, bay leaves and parsley. Bring up to heat and then allow to cook at an even simmer for about 20 minutes.

Shortly before serving, add the seafood and cook for about five minutes until the shrimp is opaque but not overdone.

Serve the etouffee over long grain white rice, along with a steamed green vegetable and a green salad.

NOTE: You can feel free to substitute other seafood for the shrimp and/or crab, such as lobster, halibut, scallops or shellfish. And by all means if you have access to actual crayfish, use it!