Serves: 6
Start to Finish: 35 minutes

¼	cup unsalted butter
¼	cup all-purpose flour
½	large onion, chopped (optional)
1	large celery stalk, chopped
2	medium green bell peppers, chopped (can sub with red bell peppers)
4	garlic cloves, minced
1	tablespoon sweet paprika
½	tablespoon Cajun seasoning
1	cup shrimp stock, clam juice or chicken stock
1	cup water
	salt to taste
2	pounds shrimp, peeled and de-veined

1.  Make a dark roux as follows: Melt butter in large sauce pan over medium-low heat.  Whisk in flour.  Cook, stirring constantly, until roux turns dark chocolate brown, about 10 minutes.  Be careful not to burn.  It is better to throw away burnt roux and start over than to use it.
2.  Stir in onion, celery, bell pepper and garlic, and sauté 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Stir in paprika and Cajun seasoning and cook another 2 minutes.  Slowly add stock and water, stirring constantly until combined.  Add additional water as needed until sauce is about the thickness of syrup. Add salt to taste.
3. Stir in shrimp. Cover and cook 10 minutes, stirring and flipping, until shrimp is opaque and pink in color.  Remove from heat.
4.  Serve over steamed rice with hot sauce.

Crawfish Étouffée Variation:  Replace shrimp in recipe with crawfish.

Per Serving:  239 cal., 13 g fat (7 g sat. fat), 155 mg chol., 560 mg sodium, 118 mg pot., 10 g carb., 1 g sugar, 1 g fiber, 20 g pro.