Cajun/Creole · Cajun · main

Shrimp Etouffee

Shrimp Etouffee reads umami 5.7, allium 4.4 and salinity 4.3 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Cajun/Creole · Cajun main, about 51 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 6.6 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 2.9 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 1.8 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 2.7 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 4.2 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 5.0 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 5.7 · Allium 4.4 · Salinity 4.3 · Marine & Briny 4.2 · Richness 4.0 · Sweetness 2.5 · Heat 2.5 · Herbaceous 2.4 · Smoke 2.3 · Warm Spice 1.9 · Sourness 1.7 · Earthy 1.4 · Fruity 1.3 · Bitterness 1.1 · Floral 0.8 · Nutty 0.6 · Citrus 0.5

What's in it (16)

• unsalted butter — 82 g
• all-purpose flour — 45 g
• yellow onion — 110 g
• green bell pepper — 100 g
• celery — 80 g
• garlic — 12 g
• tomato paste — 30 g
• fish stock — 473 g
• creole seasoning — 15 g
• smoked paprika — 5 g
• bay — 2 g
• shrimp — 680 g
• salt — 5 g
• cayenne pepper — 1 g
• green onions — 330 g
• white rice — 710 g

Time & effort: about 51 min · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 132.6 kcal, 6.8 g protein, 3.3 g fat, 24.8 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat · Contains seafood — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (9 steps)

1. Melt the butter in a Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium heat, then whisk in the flour to form a paste. Cook, whisking constantly, until the roux is the color of milk chocolate, 12-14 minutes -- don't rush it or step away, since a scorched roux means starting over.
2. Add the onion, bell pepper, and celery to the hot roux; cook, stirring often, until softened and the onion is translucent, 5-6 minutes.
3. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
4. Stir in the tomato paste and cook, stirring, until it darkens slightly and coats the vegetables, about 2 minutes.
5. Whisk in the seafood stock gradually, a splash at a time at first, until fully smooth with no lumps of roux.
6. Add the Cajun seasoning, smoked paprika, bay leaf, and salt; bring to a boil, then reduce to a bare simmer and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon and the raw flour taste is gone, 20-22 minutes.
7. Add the shrimp and cook at a gentle simmer, stirring once or twice, until just opaque and curled into a loose C, 4-5 minutes -- pull them the moment they turn opaque, since shrimp toughen fast.
8. Remove the bay leaf, stir in the cayenne, and taste for salt.
9. Ladle the etouffee over bowls of hot rice and scatter the green onions on top.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• One-Pot Jambalaya — Cajun/Creole · Cajun
• Manhattan-Style Tomato Clam Chowder — American
• Jambalaya — Cajun/Creole
• Cajun Shrimp and Sausage Gumbo — Cajun/Creole
• Marmitako — Basque · Hegoalde (Spain)

Keep reading: what umami, allium, salinity mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.