Etouffee: I really love this dish and it is relatively “light” for before all of the holiday feasting begins. This is also my version, which I sort of took off some cooking show I saw years and years ago
I normally use hot Italian sausage but they were out so I picked up this, which is probably more “authentic”. I think I will continue to use Andouille, if I can get it, in the future – the flavor was delicious with really good heat.
Step one, brown the sausage “balls” in olive oil then add chopped onion, green pepper, & red pepper and a good, heaping tablespoon of chopped garlic. Sauté until softened and slightly browned. Add in a traditional Creole seasoning mix – I don’t measure these, just hearty sprinkles of: dried leaf thyme, dried leaf oregano, onion powder (not salt), freshly ground black pepper, cayenne pepper, and paprika. I don’t use salt because we are watching our sodium intake, it is up to you. Sprinkle with approximately 1 Tbsp. flour (I used gluten-free) and cook for about 15 minutes – this is not to “brown” the flour but to “cook” it so it doesn’t taste raw. My understanding, this is called a “blond” roux vs. a traditional roux.
Slowly stir in a can of chicken broth (I used low sodium / Fat free) and mix in thoroughly, so there are no lumps of flour. Once the sauce has started to thicken, add in cooked shrimp (I used previously frozen broken shrimp – they were on sale but I have also used raw shrimp, whatever works for you) and continue to cook / thicken. If the consistency is not thick enough for your taste, you can mix cornstarch with water and add, a little at a time, until you get the consistency you are looking for. I think mine saucy but my kids like it really thick.
Plated: Served up on top of rice. It probably should be served on long grain white rice but the kids prefer “sticky” Asian rice. Either way this is a very satisfying meal.