This is an easy and delicious version of a Cajun etouffee. An etouffee is main course dish that's popular in Louisianna and other areas of the Southern United States. It is prepared with shellfish and cooked in a sauce that is thickened with a roux. A roux is a gravy-like paste made from equal parts of flour and fat which are combined and cooked until the flour taste disappears and the mixture begins to color. The roux used to make an etouffee is cooked until it is reddish-brown and when that color is reached, it is thinned with water and tomato puree to make the sauce in which the shellfish cook. This version of the dish is really easy to prepare and it is possible to have it on the table in a less than an hour. It is delicious and you'll be rewarded for your efforts with smiles and empty plates. I do have two cautions to share with you. It is important to keep the roux in motion as it browns. It can burn in the blink of an eye and if that happens you'll have to throw it out. Overcooking the shrimp is also a potential problem. Few things are worse than tough shrimp. If you keep them in the sauce too long, they will overcook and toughen and you will speak ill of me. This makes a wonderful meal for family and friends. The recipe comes from Family Circle magazine and this is the kind of dish they do really really well. Here's how the etouffee is made.

Easy Shrimp Etouffee

Ingredients:

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 large onion, chopped

1 large green pepper, seeds removed, chopped

1 cup chopped celery

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 (8-ounce) can no-salt-added tomato sauce

3 tablespoons reduced-sodium Worcestershire sauce

2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning (such as McCormick)

1-3/4 pounds large shrimp, cleaned and deveined

1/2 cup parsley, chopped

3 cups cooked brown rice

Lemon wedges

Directions:

1) In a large heavy-bottomed pot, whisk together flour and oil until combined. Bring to boiling; reduce heat to medium and cook for 5 minutes, whisking continuously, until reddish-brown in color.

2) Add onion, green pepper, celery and garlic. Cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in tomato sauce, 1 cup water, Worcestershire sauce and Cajun seasoning; simmer 15 minutes.

3) Add shrimp and simmer 4 minutes. Stir in parsley.

4) Serve shrimp over brown rice. Squeeze lemon wedges over each plate. Yield: 4 servings.

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