Everything about Touff E totally explained
Étouffée or
etouffee is a
Creole dish typically served with shellfish or chicken over
rice, similar to
gumbo, very popular in
New Orleans and in the bayou country of the southernmost half of Louisiana.
Etymology
In
French, the word "étouffée" means, literally, "smothered" or "suffocated", from the verb "étouffer"
(External Link
).
Description
The usual staple of an étouffée is seafood such as
crawfish,
shrimp, or
crabmeat. Other meats, such as chicken, or a combination of chicken and seafood, are also used.
The base of an étouffée is a blonde
roux. It is usually seasoned with
cayenne pepper, onions, green bell pepper and celery (a.k.a. the
holy trinity), garlic, and salt and has a thicker consistency than
gumbo. A crawfish étouffée usually has a reddish color due to the crawfish fat which is an important ingredient. In some areas it has become popular to add
tomatoes or tomato paste to the dish. However, most purists believe that once tomatoes are added, the dish ceases to be a true étouffée, and instead becomes a
stew. In many parts of the country, outside of Louisiana, people make étouffée with cream; however, cream should never be part of a true étouffée.
The main difference between a stew/gumbo and an étouffée is that an étouffée is made with a "blonde roux" of butter and flour. Butter burns more easily than oil but can be used in a blonde roux since the roux is cooked to a beige or light brown color, instead of a typical Creole or Cajun roux, which is dark brown and made with oil and flour.
Related cuisine
Beginning in the late
20th century, with the popularization of
Louisiana cuisine beyond its place of origin, innovations to these basic forms have abounded. In fact, the term "gumbo" is often used in
slang parlance to mean a mixture of anything and everything. One seemingly may add whatever is available in one's kitchen to a pot of gumbo. Étouffée, on the other hand, appears to be held to more exacting standards.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Touff E'.
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