You are here: HomeSouthern ComfortsCajun & CreoleCrawfish or Shrimp Etouffee'
There is one element in this recipe that makes people shake their heads.  It's the mushroom soup.  I kid you Shrimp Etouffee'not, real Cajuns use mushroom soup in their etouffee.  Oh, there are recipes without it, but to me this one is he most quintessential etouffee of all.

The word étouffée  comes from the French étouffer , which means "to smother" or "to suffocate."  Basically this is shrimp/crawfish smothered down with onions and seasonings and slowly cooked until the shrimp/crawfish are melt in your mouth tender.

Recipe By     : Sitara
Serving Size  : 6    Preparation Time :1:00
Categories    : New Orleans/Cajun/Creole         Luncheon
                Main Dishes    Seafood      Stews

  Amount     Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
    --------       ------------       --------------------------------
   3                 pounds        large shrimp -- peeled and deveined ....or crawfish tail meat
                                                                                                               or a combination of both
   3                 cups             onion -- chopped
   2                 medium       bell pepper -- chopped
   4                 cloves           garlic  -- minced
   1                 cup                green onion -- chopped
   1                 cup                fresh parsley -- chopped
   3             tablespoons   lemon juice
   3             tablespoons   cornstarch
  1/2              stick              butter
   1             tablespoon    soy sauce
   1                can               mushroom soup, condensed
  1/4          teaspoon       cayenne
  1/4          teaspoon       white pepper
   1            teaspoon       Tabasco sauce
                        salt and pepper to taste

1.  In a very heavy bottomed pot melt butter and saute onion, bell pepper and garlic slowly uncovered till      vegetables are wilted and soft.
2.  Add Lemon juice and simmer covered  on very low for 30 minutes.
3.  Add all other ingredients except shrimp green onion and parsley and cook for one hour covered on very low heat.
4.  Dissolve cornstarch and add to mixture.  Cook 15 minutes.
5.  Add shrimp, green onions and parsley.  Cook 30 minutes over low fire, stirring
every few minutes.  The shrimp should be completely melt in your mouth tender.

Serve over rice.