Favorite Recipe: Shrimp & Sausage Etouffee

All that I can say about this recipe is...YUM! This is an adaptation of a recipe that was published this year in Cooking Light magazine. The spice in this dish is the perfect blend of flavors, and I felt like it was better than any etouffee I have ever eaten...even in NOLA! You can adjust the heat with the amount of cayenne pepper that you use, or you can just drizzle some hot sauce on top.

Normally, I am a fan of the quick meal, but this recipe is anything but a quick one. I suggest doing all of the prep work and measuring ahead of time since this takes up the bulk of the time to prepare. Also, this takes three pots to cook, so be prepared for some clean up. If a recipe was ever worth the extra time, this is it. This would be a great meal to fix for guests, and the sauce freezes well if you want to prepare several meals at once. I also think that this would be just as good if it was served over white cheddar cheese grits instead of rice. Enjoy!

Shrimp & Sausage Etouffee

Ingredients:

4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 bay leaf
1/2 pound Conecuh sausage (or plain smoked sausage)

1/3 cup butter, divided
1/2 cup all-purpose flour (about 2 1/4 ounces)
Cooking spray
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
2/3 cup diced celery
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, divided
1/2 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined (about 20 shrimp)
4 cups hot cooked long-grain rice

Directions:

1) Combine first 4 ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat; bring to a simmer.

2) Slice sausage into bite-size pieces. Cook in a separate small pan over medium heat until golden brown and cooked through. Remove sausage from pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.
2) Melt 1/4 cup butter in sausage drippings in the same saucepan over medium heat. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Add flour to pan; cook 8 minutes or until very brown, stirring constantly with a whisk. Remove from heat.

3)Add 1 cup broth mixture to pan; stir with a whisk until smooth. Add remaining 3 cups broth mixture, stirring with a whisk until smooth; set aside.
4) Melt remaining 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon butter in a large Dutch oven coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add onion, celery, and bell peppers to pan; cook 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender and onion is golden brown, stirring occasionally.

5) Stir in 3/4 cup water, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Add tomato paste, Cajun seasoning, garlic, salt, black pepper, and red pepper to onion mixture; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.

6) Add reserved broth-flour mixture and Worcestershire sauce to pan, stirring well to combine; bring to a simmer. Cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

7) Add green onions, 1/4 cup parsley, sausage, and shrimp; cook 3 minutes or until shrimp are done. Discard bay leaf. Serve over rice.

Yields 6 servings.