Chicken, Sausage and Shrimp Étouffée
A rich and savory Cajun-style étouffée with chicken, andouille and (if you like) plump roasted shrimp. Just don’t forget the Tabasco!
- Yield: Serves 4 to 6 1x
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 to 3 teaspoons olive oil, for cooking
- 4 links andouille smoked sausage, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 4 to 6 boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 4 tablespoons butter
- Salt and pepper, as needed and to taste
- 1 small sweet onion, diced
- 2 green bell peppers, diced
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- ½ fresh jalapeno, seeded and chopped (optional)
- 4 garlic cloves
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons paprika
- 6 ounces light-bodied beer (half a bottle; you can drink the other half!)
- 3 to 4 cups chicken stock
- 1 to 1.5 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined
- To serve: Hot sauce, hot cooked rice, cheesy quick-cooking grits, or mushroom ravioli – weird suggestion but we did this, and it was EPIC)
Instructions
- Add the oil to a large Dutch oven set over medium-high heat. When it’s hot, add the sausage and brown, stirring occasionally until very dark and almost crispy looking; about 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate or baking sheet for now (don’t clean the pot).
- Add the chicken thighs, season lightly with salt and pepper, and brown them on both sides; about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to the same pan as the sausage.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add the butter. When it has melted, add the flour and cook, stirring pretty often until the roux has developed the color of almond butter, a nice deep brown; this can take anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, add the onion, bell pepper, celery, jalapeno, and garlic to a food processor and process until it’s all a fine pulp. When your roux is almond buttery in color, add this veggie pulp to the pot, along with the paprika. Stir. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for two minutes, stirring, so it’s not raw anymore.
- Add the beer and stir to pick up any browned bits. Add the stock and slip n’ slide the sausage and chicken back into the pot as well, along with any juices (best part!). Simmer, partially covered, for about 25 to 30 minutes, so the flavors can develop.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Put the shrimp on a sheet pan and season liberally with salt and pepper. Roast for 7 minutes, or just until curled and pink. Set aside until you need them.
- Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and chop. Put it back into the pot, and then taste and adjust for seasoning (salt is always a good idea). Serve the étouffée over hot cooked rice, cheesy grits, or my personal favorite – mushroom ravioli. Top with the roasted shrimp, if desired (see easy how-to in the notes). Hot sauce is pretty clutch, here. Just saying. A bottle on the table is never a bad idea.
Keywords: Chicken, Sausage and Shrimp Étouffée