  When I was in high school, my family spent a glorious week in New Orleans while my father spoke at an education convention there. We stayed in a beautiful, vintage home called the Lamothe House that was the traditional French style home surrounding a courtyard of gardens. I remember that the beds were also French with the tall, mahogany headboards spanning the wall to the ceiling and topped by an ornate mahogany half canopy. We felt pampered and awed by the opulence. That was in the early ’70’s and this gorgeous home is still a thriving bed and breakfast. Seeing the Preservation Hall jazz band with Billie and Dee Dee was a treat in an old, ramshackle building with wooden floors and folding chairs. Beignets at the Café Du Monde and meals at The Court of the Two Sisters, Antoine’s and several others that are no longer in business, started me on my love affair with French cuisine and all things Cajun. My favorite is Crawfish Bisque and that recipe will come later, but just for a quick summer meal, I thought I’d show how I make shrimp etouffée. I make a cajun seasoning mix that I store in a glass jar and use as needed. How hot you like your food determines how much cayenne pepper you use. I’m a weenie and Mr. Fix-It has had to swear off of hot food as the doctor has demanded, so cayenne is limited for us but it can be Katie-Bar-The-Door for you if you are brave. Hope you enjoy the recipes. Place all ingredients into a quart jar with a lid. Shake jar until all ingredients are well mixed. Store covered and use as any commercial seasoning.
 Press or chop 5 cloves of garlic and set aside  In a large, deep skillet, melt butter and add flour to make a roue  Stir flour into butter until a smooth paste is created  Cook on high heat, continually stirring. The roue will go from a thick paste to a thinner mixture and be very bubbly.  Continue stirring and cooking until the color of the roue is a deep caramel color. It will smell slightly burned. Set off of heat.  In a second skillet, sauté onions, garlic, bell pepper and celery in 1 Tblsp olive oil. I am using dried peppers and celery here, but fresh is great.  When onions are clear and tender, place skillet with roue back onto heat. Add veggies and shrimp and stir.  Add 1 Tblsp Cajun seasoning from mixture in recipe above.  Add can of chicken broth  Add more black pepper to taste. We think that you can’t have too much black pepper! Simmer until liquid is reduced to a nice, thick gravy.  Serve Etouffée hot, over rice. Serves 4  |
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