Paula Deen Shrimp Etouffee

Paula Deen shrimp etouffee is a rich, silky Cajun-style dish with 2 pounds of shrimp, a caramel roux and tomatoes that comes together in 30 minutes. Save this easy Southern shrimp dinner for Sunday dinner, game day or holiday table spreads, because it's a cozy one-pot recipe that feeds 15 hungry people.

Stir the roux until it turns caramel colored and smells nutty, which takes 15 to 20 minutes over low heat. Pull it too early and the etouffee tastes pasty, and walk away and it scorches.

Paula uses oil for the roux instead of butter, since butter burns, then stirs in a half stick of butter at the very end for richness. Clam juice stands in for stock and brings a briny backbone, so the shrimp taste even sweeter.

Paula Deen Shrimp Etouffee

0.0 from 0 votes

Course: DinnerCuisine: American, SouthernDifficulty: Medium

Servings

15

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

15

minutes

Calories

210

kcal

A caramel roux simmers with tomatoes, clam juice and the Cajun trinity into a thick, velvety sauce. Then the shrimp poach for just 3 minutes, so they stay tender and snappy.

Ingredients

• 1/2 stick Butter
  

• 2 lbs small or medium peeled and deveined (recommended: (31/35 size count) shrimp
  

• to taste salt
  

• 1 (14.5-oz) can diced tomatoes
  

• 1 (8-oz) can clam juice
  

• 2 to 3 dashes Paula Deen Hot Sauce
  

• 1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
  

• 1/2 cup minced, plus extra for garnish green onions
  

• 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
  

• 1/2 teaspoon Black pepper
  

• 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
  

• 1/2 teaspoon more if desired cayenne pepper
  

• 3 cloves finely minced garlic
  

• 1 cup chopped celery
  

• 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
  

• 1 cup chopped yellow onion
  

• 1/2 cup plus extra flour, optional all purpose flour
  

• 1/2 cup Oil
  

• optional rice
  

Directions

• Make the roux: Mix 1/2 cup oil and 1/2 cup all purpose flour in a large heavy saucepan over low heat, then whisk into a paste. Keep whisking until it turns caramel colored and smells nutty, about 15 to 20 minutes.
• Cook the vegetables: Add 1 cup chopped yellow onion, 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper, 1 cup chopped celery and 3 cloves minced garlic to the roux. Cook over low heat for about 5 minutes, until the vegetables are limp.
• Add the seasonings: Stir in 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon white pepper, 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper and 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning. Then add 1/2 cup minced green onions, 1/2 cup minced parsley and 2 to 3 dashes of hot sauce, tasting as you go since the heat builds as it simmers.
• Add the liquids: Pour in the 8-oz can of clam juice and the 14.5-oz can of diced tomatoes with their juice, then stir to blend. Season with salt, starting with 1 teaspoon and adding more if needed.
• Simmer the base: Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes so the flavors come together.
• Cook the shrimp: Add the 2 pounds of peeled and deveined shrimp and stir. They need only about 3 minutes, so pull the pot off the heat as soon as they turn pink and curl.
• Finish and serve: Stir in the 1/2 stick of butter off the heat, and the warmth of the dish will melt it. Ladle the etouffee into a tureen or bowls, over rice if you like, and garnish with extra green onions.

Tools for this recipe

• Cuisinart MultiClad Pro 3-quart saucepan, OXO 11-inch balloon whisk, OXO wooden spoon set. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

FAQs

Can I use butter instead of oil for the roux?

Paula says to stick with oil, because butter burns long before a roux reaches caramel color. You still get butter flavor, since a half stick gets stirred in at the end.

How do I keep the shrimp from turning rubbery?

Add the shrimp only after the base has finished simmering, and cook them about 3 minutes. Take the pot off the heat right away, since they keep cooking in the hot sauce.

Can I make the roux ahead of time?

Yes, a cooled roux keeps in a covered jar in the fridge, and you can reheat it gently before adding the vegetables. The base also holds well, but wait to add the shrimp until you are ready to serve.

What can I use if I don't have clam juice?

Seafood stock or chicken broth works in the same amount. Clam juice adds a briny note that makes the shrimp taste sweeter, so seafood stock is the closest swap.

How spicy is this etouffee?

It is moderate, with cayenne, Cajun seasoning and a few dashes of hot sauce. Start with the amounts in the recipe, then add more cayenne at the end if you want extra heat.