My husband and I used to watch endless hours of Food Network TV back in the day when the majority of shows were actually cooking shows. Hard to believe that was fifteen years ago. Our favorite shows were Cooking Live with Sara Moulton, Door-knock Dinners, Corner Table With Bill Boggs, Hot Off the Grill with Bobby Flay, Grillin’ and Chillin, and Essence of Emeril. This is was the beginning of Emeril taking over the prime time slot with Emeril Live, which we watched regularly. We also went online and printed his recipes on a regular basis, I’d say at least every couple of weeks we would try something new. At last count I have about four of his cookbooks, but it has been a long time since I’ve pulled them out and used a recipe.
An early Fat Tuesday celebration presented the perfect excuse to pull ’em out again and get cooking. It is fun to look back through my cookbooks and see the notes I have written about recipes. I try to make note when I try recipes, I make comment on how we liked it add the date and make notes if I made any alterations. I decided on Shrimp Etouffee and corn bread, I found it one of his cookbooks then happened to find it in another that had the note “Great. Mardi Gras 2002”. It did not fail to please this time either. It has a nutty rich taste from the roux, the tomato lightens it up however so that it is not as heavy as a gumbo. Delicious way to celebrate, and even better as leftovers.
Shrimp Etouffee
Adapted from Every Day’s a Party
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
¼ cup all-purpose flour
3 small onions, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
4 stalks celery, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
2 bay leaves
1 ½ teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons Emeril’s Essence
1 quart vegetable stock
2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/4 cup chopped parsley leaves
Steamed white rice, for serving
1. Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the flour and stir continuously to until the color of peanut butter, 5 to 7 minutes.
2. Add the onions, bell pepper, celery, and garlic to the roux, and cook, stirring often, for 10 minutes.
3. Add the tomatoes to the pot and season with the bay leaves, salt, cayenne, and 1 tablespoon of the Essence. Cook the tomatoes for 2 to 3 minutes and then whisk in the stock.
4. Bring the mixture to a boil, and reduce to a simmer. Cook the etouffee, stirring occasionally, for 45 minutes.
5. Season the shrimp with the remaining tablespoon of Essence and add them to the pot, stirring to evenly distribute. Cook the shrimp for 5 to 7 minutes, or until they are cooked through.
6. Add the chopped parsley to the pot and stir to combine.
7. Serve over steamed white rice.
Shared on Tasty Tuesday Parade of Foods, Cookbook Sunday and Tasty Tuesdays
Jacky, I totally agree with you re Food Network. I remember when that was my favourite network to watch. I hardly watch it anymore, I just tune in occasionally now. It’s changed so much. Too bad! Emeril is one of my favourite chefs, we always eat at his restaurants when we visit Vegas. This looks absolutely delicious and I’m so pleased you shared it with Cookbook Sundays. Thank you! I hope you’ll come back next month. Enjoy your week!
A classic Cajun recipe…love it!
Wow does that look good! I love the new chef’s and I love watching The Next Food Network star, and watching them grow, and then of course Paula is Scott’s girlfriend, so I really don’t like to disturb that relationship, but it has really changed. I don’t have my cookbooks in the house yet, something we are still trying to figure out, but we do have a couple of ideas.
Oh my gosh, you need to get those cookbooks into the house!
I agree that the evolution of Food Network has been an interesting one. What’s funny is that since I was in Jr. High I’ve always thought about cooking, recipes, etc. Other than working in restaurants as a server, why it never dawned on me to go to Cooking School way back then is beyond me.
I am so glad that I have found so many food bloggers just to prove to my husband that I am not the only one obsessed with cookbooks, cooking and meal planning! 😀
p.s. I am still loving how clean your new look is! 😀
I remember watching the cooking shows on Channel 11 growing up, Julie Child was my favorite. Though I think a lot of that was due to having no cable.
Thanks, I am digging the new look too. So glad I made the move, finally.
My favorite old time FOOD TV show was Two Hot Tamales- remember that one?
Your shrimp etouffee looks awesome!
Oh I do remember that one, liked it to. I loved seeing Mary Sue on Top Chef Masters
Biz was right, this looks delicious! I do believe I’ll be making this soon! Thanks! 🙂 And great blog! I hope to stop by lots! 🙂
Oh…you just brought back some memories 🙂 I used to watch all those shows on Food Network. I used to watch the PBS ones with my mother when I was a little girl and sometimes we’d make one of those recipes together. I read somewhere that the evolution of the channel was to broaden their appeal to men who prefer competitive style shows and I guess I think they’re correct. Brian never pays any attention if any of the Cooking Channel shows are on but he happily watches all the competition shows on Food Network with me.
I so miss the old Food Network.
Mmmm, delicious! I love shrimp, and the etouffe looks amazing. Carnival is a big thing in Germany, though our cooking is quite different, of course.
Oh, I bet the food is delicious. German food is on my to do list to learn.