The term “etouffee” actually just means “smothered.” And, I don’t mind tellin’ you, this here recipe for Shrimp and Scallop Etouffee Over Cheesy Grit Cakes is gonna send your sweet little mouth to heaven! I gar-own-tee!
Shrimp and Scallop Etouffee’ Over Cheesy Grit Cakes
Recipe by: Bobbi Jo Lathan
Recipe type: Entree
Cuisine: Southern
PREP TIME
50 mins
COOK TIME
45 mins
TOTAL TIME
1 hour 35 mins
INGREDIENTS
For Grit Cakes:
2 cups water
3 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ cup grits
¼ cup sharp cheddar cheese (grated)
3 tablespoons flour (for dredging the cakes)
4 tablespoons olive oil
For Shrimp and Scallop Etouffee’:
4 tablespoons butter (you may use vegetable oil, but I like butter for flavor)
4 tablespoons flour
1 cup onion (finely chopped)
½ cup celery (finely chopped)
½ cup bell pepper (finely chopped)
4 cloves fresh garlic (chopped )
1 cup fresh tomato (diced)
1 teaspoon fresh thyme (chopped)
1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning (use your favorite)
1 teaspoon paprika
2 teaspoons salt
2 cups seafood broth (or chicken broth-you can boil the raw shrimp shells in the chicken broth for about 5 minutes for a seafood flavor and then strain the shells)
1 pound raw shrimp (peeled and deveined-most come already in shell and deveined if fresh frozen)
1 pound raw scallops (side muscle removed-if you buy fresh frozen they are usually removed for you)
2 tablespoons butter plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon (freshly squeezed)
Fresh parsley (chopped) for garnish
INSTRUCTIONS
Grits Cakes:
OK, first off we’ll make the grit cakes. Git yourself a 9”X13” pan and butter the bottom of the pan and set aside.
Now, git yourself a saucepan and add the water and butter. Add the salt, pepper, and garlic powder and bring it to a boil.
Once the water’s boilin’, add them grits and cook, stirring or whisking constantly for about 5 minutes or as long as the directions on the grits package tell you to cook them. (I say this ‘cause there’s also “Quick Grits" which take less time than regular grits.)
When them grits is done, take ‘em off the stove, add in the cheddar cheese and stir ‘til blended.
Then, pour that cheese grits mixture into the greased pan and set it aside to cool. While that’s coolin’, let’s make ourselves some roux for the etouffee’.
Shrimp and Scallop Étouffée:
Git yourself a good skillet. For my roux I use a cast iron skillet covered in porcelain from the Lodge company. But, you can also just use your favorite cast iron or regular skillet. Heat that skillet over a medium fire and once it’s hot, add the butter. Stir until it’s nice and frothy, but don’t burn.
Now, add the flour a tablespoon at a time, whisking constantly.
Once the flour is all mixed together with the butter, it will begin to thicken. Now, turn it down a bit and keep stirring until it turns the color of peanut butter. The flour should all be mixed in and no longer have that grittiness to it.
When you have that pretty caramel, peanut butter color, add the onions and stir around for a minute. Then, add the celery and the bell pepper. Now, keep stirring so as not to brown it all too much. You just wanna sweat down the onion, celery and bell peppers.
Next, add the garlic and keep stirring until all is well blended with the roux.
Now, add the tomato and thyme and blend that into the mixture. The tomato will make it less dry and chunky and easier to stir around. But, this mixture will be chunky and that’s OK.
Now, add the seafood broth a cup at a time, blending well and bring it all to a boil. Then, turn it down to a simmer and let that cook for about 35-40 minutes, stirring every once in a while. You can add more broth if it cooks too quickly. It should be thick but not gloppy. The vegetables will cook down into the sauce.
When the sauce has been cooking for about 30 minutes and is almost done, then git yourself another skillet or fry pan and place it on another burner over a medium heat.
Now, take about 1 tablespoon or so of your Cajun seasoning and add it into a big bowl.
Dredge the shrimp and scallops into that Cajun seasoning.
Throw 2 tablespoons of butter and oil into the hot skillet and once the butter gits frothy, add the shrimp and scallops, a few at a time, and saute’ them around in the pan. You just wanna blacken them a little, but not cook them all the way through.
Then, remove them from the skillet and add them to the sauce made from roux that you got goin’ in the other skillet. Add the juice of one lemon and stir around. Cook the whole etouffee mixture with the shrimps and scallops for another 8-10 minutes. While that’s cookin, let’s make them grit cakes.
Assembly:
Once the cheese grits have cooled. You can cut them into large squares, or with a biscuit cutter, and then dredge them in a little flour on both sides. Get a non-stick skillet and heat up some vegetable oil over a medium heat.
Now, when it’s hot, fry them floured grits cakes in the pan until golden, about 2 minutes on each side.
Place a cheesy grits cake on a plate, top it with your shrimp and scallop etouffee and serve it up hot! Lord have mercy! My mouth’s waterin’ just thinkin’ about how good this is!
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