Shrimp Etouffee

This wonderful dish can be made from most any kind of fish but is more typical shellfish like shrimp or crawfish. Start by making a spice mix consisting of 2t salt, 1t cayenne pepper, 1t freshly ground white pepper, 1t freshly ground black pepper, 1t dried basil, and 1/2t dried thyme. Set the mixture aside. Next, make the roux. This is a critical step and should be done carefully so the roux isnt burned. You want it to end up a chocolate brown color. Add 3/4C canola oil to a 4 qt. sauce pan (the pan will contain the entire dish in the end). Heat the oil and add 3/4C flour. Heat the mix carefully, stirring constantly, until it becomes a dark chocolate brown color. (this will take up to 30 min). Add 1/4C chopped onion and stir until the onion has softened. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in 1T of the spice mix along with 1/4C chopped celery and 1/4C chopped green bell pepper. In the meantime bring 2C of chicken stock to a simmer and then slowly add the stock to the roux and return again to the boil. Add 2 lb of shrimp to the mix and cook until the shrimp are pink. Serve over white rice and garnish with chopped green onions. A classic New Orleans dish typically served with a full bodied beer.