Steamed Rice

So the very first thing you want to do before diving into the etouffee dance is make your steamed rice. I recommend Jasmine rice for its aromatics and flavor. Simply use 1 part rice to 2 parts water. I use a 12 oz. coffee cup full of rice which seems to be plenty for four to six servings depending on how much rice you like. So one coffee cup of rice, two coffee cups of water, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 tablespoon butter. Bring rice to a boil uncovered, making sure everything is stirred together and the butter is melted. Reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, remove from heat and set aside (do not remove the lid - it is still cooking).

Etouffee

First, you need to start with a pan that is going to be large enough to hold everything. This is going to be a one-pan recipe, so there is less cleanup than you might think. Now you are going to create a roux by melting butter and stirring in the flour. Cook the roux, stirring continuously, until bubbly and it is a blond color just lighter than peanut butter.

Next, stir in our modified "Holy Trinity" (chopped peppers, celery and onion) followed by your spices. This should cook for about 4 minutes, adding in the minced garlic for the last minute of cook time. 

Next, add the broth and thoroughly stir it in (heating the broth in the microwave first for 60 to 90 seconds will help the process - you do not want to add cold broth as it will increase the cook time). Bring the mixture to a low simmer and allow to thicken for a couple of minutes. This is a good time to test your flavors to make sure you don't need to add a little spice to kick it up a bit ... do not add too much additional salt as the seafood will provide some saltiness and salty can always be added after it is served - that isn't always the case with other spices that need to be cooked and integrated.

With your flavor dialed in and kickin', add your seafood. This is going to cool things down slightly, so return the mixture to a simmer over low to low/medium heat and then cook for about 10 minutes. 

Remove from heat and serve with steamed Jasmin rice. Sprinkle the chopped green onions over both as a garnish and hit of fresh flavor. Enjoy!