Gluten Free Friday! (GF Shrimp Etouffee)

Happy Friday everyone and welcome to another edition of Gluten Free Friday. Today I bring you a wonderful recipe for a Gluten Free Shrimp Etouffee. My wife and I have been to New Orleans a few times now and Shrimp Etouffee is probably one of the best things I’ve ever eaten while there. I’ve always wanted to make Shrimp Etouffee but they typically use a flour roux as a thickener so I went on a search and found this recipe which uses cornstarch instead. I have to say this is probably just about as good as any Shrimp Etouffee I’ve ever had in New Orleans. Feel free to cut the recipe in half as I know 4 pounds is a lot of shrimp and it isn’t exactly the cheapest protein either but if you do, be sure to reduce the cooking times as well. Alternatively you could also use 1/2 shrimp and 1/2 chicken or even a straight up Chicken Etouffee would still be delicious. This Shrimp Etouffee is even better the next day so you may want to make a lot anyway. Also feel free to use real butter instead of margarine if you prefer. Give this a try and let me know your opinions in the comments below.

GF Shrimp Etouffee

• 4 lb Fresh Shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1 tsp Ground Black Pepper
• 1 tsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
• 1 cup Margarine, divided
• 2 cups Minced Onion
• 3 cups Sliced Celery
• 3 cups Diced Green Bell Pepper
• 2 Tbsp Cornstarch
• 3 1/2 cups Water

1. In a large bowl, toss the shrimp, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes until well blended; cover and place in the refrigerator.
2. In a large pot over medium heat, melt 1/2 cup of margarine; add the onions and saute until they are translucent.
3. Stir in the celery and bell pepper; increase the heat to medium-high and stir occasionally for about 20 minutes.
4. Add the remaining 1/2 cup of margarine and bring to just under a boil; fold in the shrimp, reduce heat to medium and cook for about 10 minutes.
5. Mix the cornstarch and water together and slowly pour it into the pot, just covering the top of the shrimp mixture; cook on medium-high heat until the celery is soft, about 20 minutes.
6. Add any additional salt, pepper and/or red pepper flakes to taste and serve.