I made this delicious classic Cajun dish on Fat Tuesday. I love Cajun food so much, and this is one of my favorites, although I usually make it with crawfish. But since they were out the day I went for groceries, I substituted shrimp. This recipe was created for Babble’s Family Kitchen.
Yield: Serves 4
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup flour
2 cups seafood or shrimp stock (can substitute chicken), warmed
1 – 15 oz can chopped tomatoes
1 large onion, chopped
1 large green bell pepper, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried Italian parsley
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 lbs shrimp, peeled and de-viened
chopped green onions for garnish
cooked white rice
1. Saute chopped onions, celery and bell pepper until softened in a large soup pot with a little vegetable oil. After they are done, remove and set aside. Add flour and oil to the pot. Turn heat to medium low and start whisking. You want to get to a dark caramel color. This is going to take a while, be patient, it’s worth it. Be careful not to burn the flour, and don’t turn the heat to high, because everything will be ruined if the flour is burned. Be sure to whisk very frequently.
2. When you get to the dark caramel color, at least 20 minutes later, add warmed stock. Whisk well and bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Add sauteed vegetables, herbs, garlic and pepper. Add canned tomatoes and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Simmer for about 15 minutes. Simmering for too long makes it lose it’s thickness (Mine in the photo is on the thin side because I let it go a little long). Add shrimp. Simmer for about 3 – 5 minutes longer and turn off heat. Serve over cooked rice or thick bread and garnish with green onions.
