Étouffée (meaning “smothered,”) is a traditional coastal dish in Louisiana. This recipe serves 6-8 folks.

Ingredients

¾ – 1 cup White rice (not instant!) – ¾ for 6 people, 1 for 8
½ teaspoon Sea Salt
1½ – 2 cups Water – 1½ for 6 people, 2 for 8.

½ cup (1 stick) Salted butter
½ cup Flour

1 pinch Ground coriander
1 pinch Ground cloves
1 teaspoon Chili powder (to taste)
1 cup Diced bell peppers*
1 cup Diced celery*
1 cup Diced onions*
1 clove Minced fresh garlic* (to taste)
1 cup Diced fresh, peeled tomatoes

½ teaspoon Dried thyme
1 tablespoon Tomato paste
¼ teaspoon Black pepper
¼ teaspoon White pepper
¼ teaspoon Cayenne pepper (to taste)

3 cups Chicken stock

8 ounces Heavy cream (or Half-and-half)
3 cups Shredded, aged cheddar
1 dash Worcestershire sauce
1-3 dashes Tabasco pepper sauce
1 pinch Ground cumin

Crawfish, Shrimp, Crab, Chicken, or some combination thereof.

1 cup Chopped green onions

Dry Sherry

*Bell peppers, celery, onions and garlic are the Cajun Holy Trinity, despite being a holy quartet. The trinity is a Cajun mirepoix (which is chopped onions, carrots, celery,) but garlic is so often used that it properly belongs with the trinity. These ingredients are found together in gumbo, jambalaya, and étouffée.

Method

Prepare rice
Place water in a lidded pot on the stove, bring the water to an angry boil over high heat (do not use a teflon pot!) Ideally, use a back-burner.
Add salt, then rice.
Stir it thoroughly with a wooden spoon or wooden spatula.
Reduce burner to lowest (warming) setting and place a lid on the pot.
Do not disturb the pot for 20 minutes (do not lift the lid for any reason.)

Prepare seafood/meat, it needs to be ready shortly after the roux is. Pre-cooked products need to be thawed. If chicken is used, it should be cut up into smaller, bite-sized pieces (similar mass to crawfish or shrimp.)

Prepare French bread
Cut the bread lengthwise as if making a sandwich, then cut into sections about 4″ wide. Set aside to toast as the étouffée is finishing up. Do not butter the bread.

Prepare a Roux
Heat butter in a heavy skillet over medium heat.
Slowly blend in flour, while constantly stirring and scraping the bottom of the skillet.
Roux is ready when it is golden-colored.

Make Étouffée
Add celery, bell peppers, onions, garlic and tomatoes, chili powder, coriander, cloves, and cook until the onions have browned
Add the thyme, tomato paste, roux and the three peppers.
Add the stock, bring to a boil and simmer until the mixture becomes thick. It is important to reach a thick consistency and a stable lower temperature in the sauce before the following step to insure the cheese is integrated well.
Add the cheese, cream, worcestershire sauce, cumin, pepper sauce.
Stir until cheese is thoroughly blended into the mixture.
Gently stir in seafood/meat.

Toast halved and sectioned French bread.

Serve over rice, garnished with green onions and a bit of dry sherry, with bread on the side.

Unrelated to this étouffée recipe, you may enjoy this program on Cajun food traditions: No One Went Hungry: Cajun Food Traditions Today.