Gluten Free Shrimp Etouffee

Heather says:

I love to have people over for dinner; opening my home and sharing my table is my favorite way to show people I care and want them to be a part of our lives. As that circle of people expands -and ages, heh- I’m finding that more and more often I have friends and family with specific dietary needs: wheat allergies, gluten intolerance, and celiac disease are showing up more and more often, so I’m working on expanding my repertoire of recipes I can share.

The pictures of this dish are for the the regular Shrimp Etouffee I posted several years ago. I found the wherewithal to cook, but not photograph this recipe. I’m sure you understand. The final dish is slightly lighter in color as brown rice flour does not stand up as well as the wheat version in roux and I didn’t want to risk the roux breaking as company was en route and my patience was on the wane.

Just like the regular version of shrimp etouffee don’t be put off by the number of ingredients, it’s not as complicated as it looks, the bell pepper, celery, and onion are known as trinity. (If you really want to take a shortcut you can find it the frozen section of some Southern grocery chains)

Gluten Free Shrimp Etouffee

Ingredients for Gluten-Free Shrimp Étouffée:

2 lbs raw large or jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 bell pepper – diced
1 onion – diced
1 stalk celery – diced
3 garlic cloves – minced
1 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup vegetable or peanut oil
5 cups fish or shrimp stock, canned is fine.
3 -4 bay leaves
3 TBSP Creole or Cajun seasoning, divided (Chef Paul Prudhomme’s Magic Seasoning Blends ~ Blackened Redfish Magic, 24-Ounce Canister and Zatarain’s New Orleans Traditional Creole Seasoning – 8 oz. are both gluten free )
2 tsp hot pepper sauce
2 TBSP Worcestershire Sauce – Lea and Perrin’s is gluten free, check your brand carefully
salt to taste
optional green onions as garnish

Before you even turn on the stove, do all of the dicing and deveining. You’ll thank me later. It’s a good time to practice mise en place. Once your shrimp has been peeled, season it with 1 TBSP of the Cajun seasoning and set it in the refrigerator.

Heat the peanut oil over medium heat. When the oil starts to shimmer add the brown rice flour and reduce the heat to low. Whisk thoroughly and continue to stir until there are no lumps. Unlike traditional roux you cannot cook it to a peanut butter or a brick color without losing the thickening properties. Stir it for a few moments until a slightly toasted odor begins to be detectable.

Turn the heat up to medium and add the trinity (the bell peppers, onions, and celery). Stir the mixture until the onions are translucent and the celery has begun to soften.

Add the shrimp or fish stock slowly, stirring constantly. The mixture will become very thick during this and then thin to a stew like consistency. If you want to make it thicker, you can add additional brown rice flour about ten minutes before serving to thicken the dish.

Add the other two tablespoons of Cajun Seasoning, the Worcestershire sauce, the bay leaves, and the garlic. Bring the mixture just to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally for 15 – 20 minutes. This allows the flavors to develop.

Add the shrimp and stir. Cook until the shrimp is pink and opaque. Serve immediately over rice with hot sauce and green onions for garnish, if desired.

Enjoy!