Shrimp & Mushroom Etoufee

I'll start this one out by saying thank you to Chef Andrew Zimmern! You posted a link to your shrimp étouffée recipe on Twitter a while back and you inspired me to make some of my own.

 First off, if you have access to fresh shrimp take advantage of it. Frozen shrimp will work. The only requirement is that you get them with the shell on. The shrimp stock is the key to this dish!

There isn't much stock but the flavors
you get are worth the time and effort

Shrimp & Mushroom Etouffee

1 lbs of shrimp
1 lbs of mushrooms
1 medium white onion chopped
3 tbsp oil
6 cloves of garlic sliced
2 celery stalks
4 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp Harissa paste
4 tbsp butter
¼ tsp basil
¼ tsp thyme
¼ tsp oregano
1 tbsp cornstarch ¼ cup water (for slurry)


Shrimp Stock
shrimp shells from 1 lbs of shrimp
stems from mushrooms (optional)
¼ medium onion
2 stalks of celery
3 cloves of garlic
3 cups vegetable stock (water is also suitable)
1 large pinch of salt
½ tbsp cracked black pepper

In a sauce pot combine “Shrimp Stock” ingredients add a large pinch of salt and using a steaming rack place the rack on top of all of your ingredients to ensure they are submerged, bring to a boil. After boiling turn heat down and simmer for at least 2 hours. Check for seasoning and strain solids from stock. Hold aside for later.

I used my steamer basket to keep the shrimp shells submerged

In a large saute pan heat over medium high heat add 2 tbsp oil, when hot add mushrooms, onions and season with salt. After onions have softened and become translucent add garlic and and lower heat. After sauteing garlic add Harissa and tomato pastes cook until tomato paste has changed color slightly and add herbs. Set aside for final ingredients to cook.

In another saute pan melt butter and on high heat cook shrimp in one layer, avoid overcrowding the pan, and get a good sear on the shrimp but do not overcook them, actually it would be best to under-cook them.

After shrimp have cooked, add shrimp to mushroom onion tomato mixture, and add shrimp stock. Cook for about 2 minutes bringing it to a boil and breaking up tomato and herbs. Make sure there are no lumps  in your slurry and your sauce is boiling, then add the cornstarch slurry and stir continuously. You will notice the sauce thicken and get a nice sheen on it. That's when you shrimp étouffée is ready.

Serve over rice or potato celery root mash. Recipe to follow.

Potato Celery Mash

1 lb Yukon Gold potatoes
1 lb celery root
6 cups of water
plenty of salt
5 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1/2 stick of butter
1/2 cup half and half
1/2 cup freshly chopped parsley

Quarter the potatoes, and peel and cube the celery root, once that is done add to water and salt water well. Bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes are fork tender, in other words, you can poke em with a fork and they slide right off. Drain the water.

While the potatoes and celery root are boiling, in a separate pan melt the butter and saute or gently cook the garlic in the melted butter. Do not toast the garlic it could turn bitter very fast.

Add the melted butter and cooked garlic to the drained potatoes, add the half & half and mash the mixture, just as you finish mashing add the parsley and taste for salt.

So there it is. If you try it let me know, if you like it let others know, if you don't like it, well just keep that to yourself! Just kidding about that last part. Comments and questions are welcome!