Shrimp / Crawfish Etouffee’

The Shrimp and Crawfish can be substituted interchangeably

2 lbs Peeled and cleaned boiled crawfish or shrimp
2 lg.  Onions

1 large bell pepper

8 tbsp or ½ cup of butter

2 Bay leaves

2 heaping tbsp All Purpose Flour
¼ cup cooking oil
2 cups of tap water

3 cups whole Milk
2 - 10 oz can Cream of shrimp Soup

2 - 8oz cans of cream corn
1 tsp Lemon Pepper
2 tbsp. Slap Ya Mama
1 tsp Garlic Powder
1 tbsp. Dry Parsley Flakes

Half package green onion 4-5 stalks

6 Eggs raw in shell

Half cap (about 1/4 tsp) of Zatarains liquid crab boil

Half package bacon - thin sliced

1 package Smoked sausage (quarter the sausage)

Serves 10-15

Chop onions and bell peppers into small pieces and set aside. In a black iron pot, pour cooking oil in and bring to a high heat. Stir in flour. Brown flour and continue to stir so as not to let it burn. Once it is caramel in color, add in the onions and the associated seasonings. Cook on high fire until onions are caramelized or melted. Add the butter and melt slowly. Add crawfish/shrimp tails. Stir until mixed thoroughly. Add a half cap of Zatarains liquid crab boil, sausage and bacon. Add 2 cups of water to mixture and stir until blended well. Cook on low fire for 10 minutes uncovered. Add the can of cream of shrimp soup stirring constantly. Cook it on a low fire for 5 minutes. Add 2 cups of milk and stir. Add Seasonings (Slap YA Mama, Lemon pepper etc.). Cook on low fire until it starts bubbling, then lower the fire and let simmer for 10 minutes. Add the last cup of milk, garlic powder, parsley flakes and green onions. Add both cans of cream of corn and cream of shrimp. Stir until thoroughly mixed. Simmer until it starts bubbling, and then at this point break the eggs in the pot of etouffee’ spacing them out through the pot letting them cook for 5 minutes. (This will poach the eggs thereby encapsulating the flavor within the egg.) Turn the fire off and cover for 10 minutes. Uncover and stir. Pour over steamed brown rice and enjoy.

Submitted by Major BB

Associated story:

This is a recipe that was assimilated over time. During my last tour of Iraq, I was lucky enough to get to cook for many foreign personnel from different Embassies on my “time off”. I would experiment each cook out and add a “twist” each time. The Ambassador of the Netherlands claimed this to be his favorite.