Shrimp Étouffée

 I grew up eating some of the most amazing seafood dishes so I crave Cajun food quite often. Recently I have had a hankering for crawfish etouffée. Living in the mountains is amazing but I do miss good ol' Louisiana seafood and it is impossible to get Louisiana crawfish in Lake Tahoe. I really needed to kick my craving for crawfish etouffée so I decided to make it with shrimp instead. This dinner was amazing, it really hit the spot and reminded me a little bit of home. 

Typically my family uses Tony Chachere's Seasoning to add a little Cajun flavor but to their food but for my dish I decided to use a new seasoning, Slavo Salt. Slavo Salt is a yummy seasoning that helps bring out the flavor in just about any dish. It is a simple seasoning without any additives or preservatives.

Slavo Salt! http://slavosalt.com/

Gather up the follow ingredients and get ready to make a yummy Louisiana style dinner for your friends and family! 

Ingredients
Makes 4-6 servings

1 small onion, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 celery rib, finely chopped

1 green bell pepper, finely chopped

1/3 cup of butter

2 green onions, chopped 

1 tbs parsley, chopped

1 can diced tomatoes in juice

2 cups broth - homemade broth recipe below

3 tbs flour

1 lb shrimp, peel and devain

Season with Salvo Salt and Paprika

3 cups of cooked rice

Heat the butter in a large sauce pan or medium pot until it melts. Add in the onions, garlic, celery and bell pepper and cook for 5 minutes on medium heat. Next add in the  green onions, parsley and tomatoes, cook for a few more minutes. Mix the flour into 1/4 cup of the broth until smooth then add along with the rest of the broth to the dish and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce to a simmer, add in the shrimp and seasoning, cover and cook for 5 minutes on medium/low heat.  

Taste the dish and add more seasoning as needed. Serve warm over rice, garnish with paprika and sliced green onions. 

Shrimp Broth 
Homemade broth is easy to make from ingredients you are already using to make your dinner. I prefer to make my broth 30 minutes before using it but you can use after 15 in your in a rush. I usually take that time it's setting to prep my vegetables and set the table. 

2 1/2 cups of water
1/2 small onion
2 garlic cloves
1 celery rib
1 carrot 
bell pepper ends from ingredients above
shrimp carcasses from ingredients above 

Chop the vegetables in large chunks and place a pot along with the water and shrimp carcasses. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and let sit for at least 15 minutes. Once you are ready to use the broth pour it thought a fine mesh strainer into a cup or bowl.