Make-Ahead Creole-Style Shrimp Etouffee

Make-Ahead Creole-Style Shrimp Etouffee is easy to deliver on a weeknight—like Mardi Gras!—because you make the roux-based sauce in advance.

(Updated post)

In celebration of Mardi Gras this week, I made shrimp etouffee—a decadent, once-a-year treat.

Roux-based sauces take time, though.

This is particularly true in the case of étouffée and gumbo, for which the roux is dark (and, for the latter, even darker).

There's just no getting around the 20–25 minutes of low-and-slow, constant whisking. This ensures that the butter and flour don't burn, but do develop the rich, nutty flavor that's critical to the etouffee flavor profile.

Given that, I realized that shrimp etouffee doesn't exactly lend itself to busy weeknights, which is exactly when Mardi Gras falls.

I decided to make the sauce two nights before I planned to serve the meal, and Make-Ahead Creole-Style Shrimp Etouffee was born.

What does "Creole-Style" mean?

I'm not going to delve too deeply into the differences between Cajun and Creole cuisine.

These are often thought of as country cooking vs city cooking, respectively.

There are historic roots that explain why the two cuisines use the ingredients they do, but I'm not going to rehash it here.

For the purposes of my version of this dish, the addition of canned, diced tomatoes places it firmly in the Creole column.

Many sources also explain that Cajun cooks use oil,  while Creole cooks use butter. Hot debates rage about these distinctions in discussion threads.

To be clear, I like BOTH cuisines—and, indeed, there is a lot of overlap between the two.

This is the way I happen to like my etouffee, so "Creole-Style" it is.

Make-Ahead Creole-Style Shrimp Etouffee recipe: day 1

Shrimp etouffee (correctly written "étouffée"; pronounced "ā-too-FAY") literally means "smothered shrimp".

We're going to make "the smother" first and cook the shrimp after rewarming the sauce and right before serving.

The roux

The roux is, without a doubt, the most time-consuming step for delivering a good etouffee.

We're shooting for a light peanut butter color (the roux will continue to cook and develop after we add the vegetables and sauté them for a few minutes).

I have a fantastic heavy-bottomed, non-stick skillet that I use for this dish.

As you'll see in the video below, this pan is SO nonstick that a silicone spatula is sufficient to completely scrape the bottom and sides of the pan (however, most pans will require using a whisk).

I melt the butter over medium-low heat, incorporate the flour, and whisk continuously until a caramel/peanut butter color and nutty aroma develop. Check it out:

This video shows the roux near the end of the process, with the light peanut butter color I shoot for just before adding the vegetables.

The color and flavor will continue to develop as the veggies sauté. (Note that I'm scraping all along the bottom of the skillet and around the sides.)

The "holy trinity"

Onion, celery, and bell pepper are the Louisiana version of classic mirepoix (which includes carrot rather than bell pepper).

I like to cut the vegetables (especially the celery) into fairly fine dice because we won't sauté them for very long and they may come out crunchy if the pieces are too large.

After the roux reaches its target color, I add in the trinity along with some garlic and sauté for about 5 minutes (watching carefully to be sure that the roux doesn't go too far).

Spices and simmering the sauce

Another difference between Cajun and Creole cuisine is that Cajun food tends to be spicier than Creole.

This is one area where I blur the lines, because I prefer spicy food. For my Creole-Style Shrimp Etouffee, I've kept the spice fairly conservative.

Cayenne is an optional addition. You can leave it out if you'd prefer a milder sauce.

I like to "bloom" the spices, so I add in black pepper, cayenne, and Cajun/Creole seasoning to the sauté for the last minute.

Then I slowly mix in diced tomatoes with their juice and the stock (shrimp stock is ideal, but chicken stock will also work).

At this point, I raise the sauce to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer.

After simmering for 25 minutes, I give the sauce a taste check.

If it needs more spice, I make a preliminary adjustment (keeping in mind that the shrimp I add later will be seasoned with additional Cajun/Creole mix).

The final step for day 1 is to cool the sauce and store it in the refrigerator.

Make-Ahead Creole-Style Shrimp Etouffee recipe: day 2

(or 3, if you opt to wait 2 days)

Shrimp etouffee sauce consistency

After bringing the sauce back up to temperature, I assess whether the thickness is to my liking or not. It's usually very, very close, but with that being said...

People are all over the map with their preference for the final consistency of etouffee.

I've made it simple: if you like it thinner than what you get with my recipe, add a little more stock or some water until you reach the consistency you like.

If it's too thin for your preference, mix a teaspoon of cornstarch with a teaspoon of cold water (heresy, I know!).

Add it to the simmering sauce and it will thicken up after a few moments—that's as thick as I'd suggest going with this particular sauce (see below: adding butter just before serving will add a tiny bit more thickness to the sauce).

The shrimp

If you can get your hands of fresh Gulf shrimp, then absolutely do that.

I'm in Wisconsin, though, so I use whatever shrimp looks good that isn't full of soapy-tasting preservative.

Be sure to peel, devein, and clean the shrimp.

Another bit of heresy I engage in for this recipe is that I season the shrimp and cook them separately in a skillet before adding them to the sauce.

That's my own flavor preference—you are more than welcome to simply cook the shrimp in the sauce.

Serving shrimp etouffee

I give the sauce a final taste check, adding more salt if necessary.

Just before I serve my Creole-Style Shrimp Etouffee, I like to add a small pat of cold butter to the sauce—just a tablespoon—to make the sauce glossy and thicken it slightly.

Then I serve the etouffee over rice topped with a sprinkling of scallions and chopped parsley, with lemon wedges and hot sauce on the side.

All in all, this dish takes about an hour and a half, which isn't horrible—but it's usually a no-go for weeknights.

The Saucy Two-Step strategy from the Flipped-Out Food Playbook makes it do-able.

Not to mention that sauces almost always taste better 1–2 days after you make them. I hope that Make-Ahead Creole-Style Shrimp Etouffee will be a favorite with your family!

—xoxo Michelle

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