Étouffée or etouffee (pronounced: [e.tu.fe] ay-too-fay) is a dish found in both Cajun and creole cusine typically served with shellfish over rice. It is most popular in New Orleans and in the bayou country of the southernmost half of Louisiana.
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In French, the word "étouffée" (borrowed into English as "stuffed" or "stifled") means, literally, "smothered" or "suffocated", from the verb "étouffer". In Louisiana, to "smother" food means to simmer it in a small amount of liquid (usually with lots of seasonings and spices added) to create a gravy or sauce that is served over rice. [1]
The usual staple of an étouffée is seafood such as crawfish, shrimp, or crabmeat. Other meats, such as chicken, or a combination of chicken and seafood, may also be used. Étouffée has a thicker consistency than gumbo.
The base of an étouffée is a dark roux which should be dark brown in color, but not burned; like liquid chocolate. As in many Louisiana dishes, onions, green peppers and celery (a combination often referred to as the holy trinity) are added to the roux. The étouffée is usually seasoned with cayenne pepper, paprika, white pepper, fresh garlic, fresh parsley, salt, and perhaps even a host of other seasonings. The dish is usually mounted with butter for richness and then served with white rice cooked in seafood stock, or dirty rice--a Cajun favorite.
Crawfish étouffée (if made with a roux) usually has a dark brown color with a hint of red: this is sometimes mistakenly attributed to crawfish fat (an important ingredient). However, crawfish fat is bright yellow, and will not color the dish red: the red color can come from the spices, or the tomatoes (if used). In some areas, it has become popular to add tomatoes and/or tomato paste to the dish. There is a significant difference between the étouffées of Lafayette (Acadiana Cajun Country), and those of New Orleans (Creole) and surrounding areas. Both are spicy, but Cajun étouffée is usually light brown in color and more rustic and rich. Creole-style is dark-brown, more balanced and prepared with a more Classical French approach.
In Cajun country, a roux takes approximately 30-45 minutes to make properly on a gas stove. Roux is typically made with equal portions of liquid lard, grease, or oil along with white flour (sometimes a 2 to 1 ratio oil to flour is used). Some Cajun cooks skip the flour and simply cook down onions in butter. According to Paul Prudhomme, a roux used to make étouffée requires the use of vegetable oil rather than butter. It is difficult to make such a dark roux without burning the butter, though it is possible with the use of clarified butter. Chef John Folse uses a blonde roux and notes that many people use only onions and butter as the base. Such is the variety of all types of Cajun food, and people of south Louisiana (Cajun and non-Cajun alike) can get into spirited debates over the issue of whether to use a roux in étouffée. Bishop "Babineux by the Bayou" Allen, well known supply chain designer and acadian chef utilizes a coffee-enhanced roux to achieve deep color and flavors which are now legendary all the way to the Texas Hill Country.