Shrimp Creole Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What's the difference between shrimp Creole and shrimp etouffee? ›

Shrimp Creole and Shrimp Etouffee are similar dishes but are not the same. An etouffee has a consistency that is more like gravy and is thicker than shrimp creole sauce. Shrimp creole has a tomato base while shrimp etouffee has a roux for its base.

WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SHRIMP CREOLE AND JAMBALAYA? Shrimp Creole is a shrimp dish that rests on a bed of rice. Jambalaya is a rice dish. Spanish colonists to the Louisiana area were unable to make paella and jambalaya was the result of attempts to make a variation of paella using ingredients available locally.

They are typically thicker and spicier than a gumbo, and the rice is prepared separately and used as a bed for the creole mixture, rather than cooked in the same pot as with a jambalaya. Creole dishes also do not contain broth or roux; instead, the creole mixture is simmered to its desired degree of thickness.

Refrigerate leftover shrimp Creole in a covered container for up to three days. Reheat shrimp Creole in a saucepan over medium-low heat until it reaches 165 F. Freeze leftover shrimp Creole sauce for up to three months. Defrost frozen shrimp Creole in the refrigerator overnight.

What's in an Étouffée Sauce? Étouffée is a type of stew if you want to get technical. It's made with a roux, onion, celery, and bell pepper (the holy trinity), tomato, garlic, hot sauce, and either shrimp, crawfish, or chicken.

Gumbo is perhaps the signature dish of both cuisines. Creole gumbo has a tomato base and is more of a soup, while Cajun gumbo has a roux base and is more of a stew.

Creole cooking is typically more refined, while Cajun food is a rustic affair. Locals often refer to the two as “city food” and “country food.” Because Creoles were more affluent, they tended to use a higher number of ingredients—remoulade sauce contains nearly a dozen—along with a generous amount of butter and cream.

It is made with tomatoes, the Cajun holy trinity (celery, bell peppers, and onions), garlic, seasonings, and herbs. Stock (usually chicken) is also used, and it is seasoned with cayenne, hot sauce, bay leaf, salt, black pepper, thyme, and parsley.

Turns out, your preference for tomatoes in gumbo comes down to whether you learned your skills from a Cajun cook or a Creole cook. (Learn about the difference here.) Cajun gumbo does not include tomatoes in the base, but Creole gumbo (typically shellfish or seafood gumbo) does call for tomatoes.

While very similar, the primary difference between Cajun and Creole seasonings is this: Cajun seasoning contains a combination of ground peppers—cayenne, black, white, etc. —while Creole seasoning is heavy on the herbs—paprika, oregano, thyme, etc.

How long will shrimp Creole last in the refrigerator? ›

Storage and make-ahead:

The flavors deepen, making this a great dish to make at the beginning of the week and devour as an easy weeknight dinner throughout the week. Stored in an airtight container in the fridge, shrimp Creole will last for around 4 days.

Freezing Cooked Shrimp

Cooked shrimp keeps best if it's been shelled before freezing. Pull off the shells and tails with your hands and snap off the head, if you didn't remove it while cooking. Avoid leaving cooked shrimp out on the counter for more than 2 hours.

You don't have to throw out leftover fish fillets or shellfish after dinner. You can safely reheat seafood for up to 4 days after it has been cooked. Seafood dishes with garlic or onions can taste even better the second time around. The only challenge to reheating seafood is that it can dry out or get a fishy smell.

Etouffee is a French word, which translated literally means “smothered” or “suffocated.” However, in relation to food, it refers to a method of cooking where seafood is smothered in vegetables with a tomato-based sauce, resulting in a stew-like seafood dish.

So, what's the difference between these two cuisines? While they are very similar, they do utilize different ingredients. Cajun food is typically spicier than Creole food, and it also contains more pork and crawfish. Creole food utilizes more ingredients like tomatoes, shrimp, oysters, and crab.

Étouffée is the French word for "smothered," and what it really describes is a Cajun and Creole cooking method in which a protein like shrimp is cooked on the stovetop in a thick, roux-based sauce.

Both are considered main dishes, but étouffée is more or less a sauce or thick gravy, typically served over rice. Jambalaya, however, is a rice dish, akin to paella, its likely ancestor. One uses rice as a vehicle, the other as a staple component of the dish.