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Joni L

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Any etouffee experts out there?

by Joni L » Fri Feb 24, 2017 1:35 pm

Hi all!

I'm hosting a Mardi Gras party soon, and I'm planning to make crawfish etouffee as one of my main dishes. I used to LOVE Joe's OK Bayou's version, but haven't been able to recreate it at home. Of course I'll start with a roux, and I assume they used a dark roux because of the color, and I don't believe they used tomatoes. Does anyone have any inside info or suggestions?

Laissez les bons temps rouler, and thanks in advance!
Joni
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Robin Garr

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Re: Any etouffee experts out there?

by Robin Garr » Fri Feb 24, 2017 1:58 pm

Joni, I used to make Chef Paul Prudhomme's etouffée recipe a lot, and it was really good. It's not a quick-and-easy procedure, but I thought it was worth it. Here's the recipe online:

https://chefpaul.com/site.php?pageID=300&view=251
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Re: Any etouffee experts out there?

by Joni L » Fri Feb 24, 2017 6:09 pm

Thanks, Robin! I'll check it out!
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RonnieD

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Re: Any etouffee experts out there?

by RonnieD » Sat Feb 25, 2017 12:25 am

They did not use a dark roux (Joe's Alum circa 1998), they used a medium roux similar to what we used at J. Gumbo's. They used tomato paste, and sparingly. Basically, make a medium roux (about the color of peanut butter), then make a stock of your choice (crawfish, shrimp, chicken, etc.). Add roux to stock until you reach desired thickness, and viola! étouffée!
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Jay M.

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Re: Any etouffee experts out there?

by Jay M. » Sat Feb 25, 2017 1:25 pm

I have made exactly two roux in my life - one with oil (for gumbo) and one with butter (for etoufee). The vegetable oil version made a much darker roux than the butter-based version. The etouffee recipe I made is shown below and is from a Texas-transplanted Louisianan. Her recipe uses butter in the roux and I recall it was light to medium brown. She comments on color in the recipe. I thought it was excellent. Good luck!

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rsz_1rsz_img_1786.jpg (70.16 KiB) Viewed 23875 times
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Re: Any etouffee experts out there?

by Joni L » Sat Feb 25, 2017 6:02 pm

Ronnie and Jay, thanks so much! I think I may have "over-orchestrated" my etouffee in the past. Keeping it simple is sometimes the better thing in cooking...

As I type I have seafood stock simmering away with shells and peels I've squirreled away in the freezer for the last few months. I'll keep my etouffee simple, medium roux, and all about the crawfish. That's not to say that I might go a little wild with my gumbo (andouille, tasso, and smoked chicken), haha!
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Re: Any etouffee experts out there?

by RonnieD » Sun Feb 26, 2017 4:07 pm

That's the great thing about Gumbo, there really is no wrong way to do it!

Étouffée is always better when you stay simple! Enjoy! Let us know how it comes out!
Ronnie Dingman
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Re: Any etouffee experts out there?

by Joni L » Sun Mar 05, 2017 8:12 am

So, the Mardi Gras party was fun, and my food turned out great. Made a hot crawfish dip for app, then red beans and rice, gumbo, and etouffee. I wasn't in love with my etouffee, but a few guests said it was their favorite dish! We all know taste is subjective, and that is for sure. Both the red beans and gumbo turned out great, though. Smoking the chicken was a good move - it gave the gumbo a really great flavor.

Thanks again for your input! I think one of these days we need to have a party for all of our members. You know we would have some awesome food! :)
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Re: Any etouffee experts out there?

by Jay M. » Sun Mar 05, 2017 10:58 am

All of that sounds great, Joni - lucky guests!
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Re: Any etouffee experts out there?

by RonnieD » Sun Mar 05, 2017 1:44 pm

Fantastic! Nothing more fun than feeding a crowd of hungry folks and sharing the joy of food!
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Re: Any etouffee experts out there?

by gregg.kramer » Mon Mar 06, 2017 8:10 am

Awesome to hear Joni!
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