Shrimp and Crawfish Etoufee

Ingredients

Shrimp Crawfish Etoufee:
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup diced bell pepper
2 tablespoons diced yellow onion
1 celery stalk, diced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon Roux, recipe follows
Rum
6 shrimp
8 ounces crawfish tail meat
1 ounce Mama’s Green Creole Sauce, recipe follows
Pinch pepper
Pinch kosher salt
Pinch ground thyme

Creole Herb Rice:
1/2 cup brown rice
1 cup long grain white rice
1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
Salt

Green Creole Sauce:
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons canola oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
10 cloves garlic
4 jalapeno peppers
2 green onions, cut in half
1 small yellow onion, cut into wedges
1 bell pepper, cut into wedges
1/2 bunch parsley, rinsed

Roux:
1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup flour

Directions

For the Etouffee: Heat a medium cast-iron skillet over medium heat and add the butter. Saute the trinity (peppers, onions and celery). Add the garlic, and saute until slightly tender. Add the Roux and deglaze with some rum to help break it down (it will flame up). Add 1 to 2 cups purified water to form a sauce. Add in the shrimp, crawfish, pepper, salt and thyme. Reduce the flame to a medium-low simmer. Add Green Creole Sauce. Stir constantly making sure the roux doesn’t burn and is completely dissolved. Taste periodically to confirm desired taste. Simmer 10 to 20 minutes, until the etoufee reaches desired thickness.

Creole Herb Rice: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Cook the brown rice in 1 cup water, covered, for 30 to 40 minutes.
Cook the white rice in 1 cup water in a rice steamer.

After both are cooked, empty the pans onto a cookie sheet. Mix the rice and toss with the oil, thyme and salt to taste.
Drench the etoufee over the rice, and serve.

Green Creole Sauce: Place 2 cups water, the lemon juice, oil, salt, garlic, jalapenos, green onions, yellow onions, bell peppers and parsley in a blender and process until a sauce is formed. If the blender is not large enough, you can make it in two batches.

Roux: Heat the oil in a heavy skillet over low heat. Add the flour and stir until mixture is creamy and there are no lumps. Turn the heat down low and keep stirring until the mixture reaches the desired color (a medium or dark brown). Be careful and pay attention as not to burn the roux– after it reaches a certain shade of brown it will begin to brown faster.