@philrmcknight's Journal, 16 April 2017

Is this one of your creations? Looks delish!  

I learned how to make etouffee when I was in high school over twenty years ago. There are lots of variations, I make mine with a dark roux and add andouille sausage and crawfish tails. You can use add shrimp, pour it over rice, potatoes, or pasta, just an awesome dish!  

I love this stuff. I make a mean Crawfish Etoufee too. Even mine can't touch my Gumbo... 

I remember the first time I had etouffee, it was akin to a religious experience. And if your gumbo is that good, heaven have mercy!  

BTW: I was surprised to find that the roux is not a huge calorie pit... 

Do you use butter, oil, or lard in your roux? I'm not partial to one or the other. I took a beef shoulder roast, cut it into cubes, browned them and threw them in a crock pot with onion, celery, bell pepper, and garlic, and added the roux at the end, served it over rice, some of the best beef tips I've ever made.  

You've got some great cooking skills.  

@ Phil, the lady who taught me "Low Country" cooking always used butter. I love those flavors... 

I've made this without the rice - serve it like stew. I use onions, peppers, tomatoes, shrimp & sausage topped with green onions (instead of cilantro) in mine. Ridiculously filling, spicy, and yummy even without the carbs! 

Love Etoufee! 

@John what are some of your other favorite Low Country dishes? @Soon I've made etouffee for years, and just assumed it would be too carby for maintenance, I was pleasantly surprised when I finally got around to checking the macros. The part of Texas I live in has a pretty strong Cajun influence, between barbecue, Mexican/Tex-Mex, and Cajun/Creole there's a lot of culinary diversity.  

Oh I love Etoufee but I've never been brave enough to try making it myself. That looks so yummy though, I might have to pull my big girl pants up and give it a try once I've made more progress. 

I'm not a big rice/bread/potato person, anyway, so recipes that read like a curry I just eat like a stew. The flour used in the roux is minimal - it's the scoop of rice in etouffee or gumbo that sends it out of maintenance carb range. I love all cuisines except for Mexican* (odd, I know, since I live in Southern California). I love to cook and try new recipes from around the globe about 3x/week. *The taco shops around me use the cheapest ingredients to cut food costs, and you can taste it under their cover: liberal use of jalapenos. 

Crawfish Etouffee, Gumbo, Shrimp Creole and Jambalaya are favorites. I tend not to do Jambalaya as much these days because of the amount rice in the dish. I love the sauces, veggies, seafood and sausages used. I go easy as possible on the rice. I like Mexican dishes but too many of my favorites are too starchy to eat often... 

Boudain is one my favorites, throw a couple of pounds on the smoker with brisket and pork shoulder, great stuff. I'm not 100% on how much Low Country and Cajun/Creole are similar, but I've always known that there are parallels, I appreciate good eats, regardless! Soon, have you ever tried tacos al pastor? I'll bet you'd like. 

Daaammnnnnn, booy! Killin me... 

Soft tortillas or wraps trigger my gag reflex. Really. Within 2 seconds of swallowing, I'm puking it back up. I love grilled pork, though, and when presented with a gyro, I'll pick up a fork and eat it that way, or kebabs are great if you ignore the bed of rice they're plunked down on. A Cubano sandwich is the only exception to the not-gonna-eat-bread rule of mine. 

Jimmie, spanakopita and etouffee would pair well together. :D Soon, wow, I wish I had that reaction to flour products, unfortunately I love bread and tortillas. :(  

Phil, sadly I do not have the gag-reflex reaction to flour products such as cake, pie and cookies, or Phyllo dough. Just with flat, unleavened wrap-like items. 

looks yummy, hope you can share recipe