What kind of food is Étouffée? What does Étouffée mean in cooking?

Étouffée sauce is simply a stew made with shrimp, the Holy Trinity of onion, celery, and green pepper, and a simple roux to thicken it up.

Étouffée brings together all of the hallmarks of Louisiana cooking: Seafood (help our own shrimpers by making sure you use Gulf shrimp for your etouffee), a flour-and-oil roux, the “Holy Trinity” of onion, celery and green pepper, traditional Cajun seasoning and hot sauce.

Étouffée is mostly served over rice for a true Cajun meal!

What does Étouffée mean in cooking?

Étouffée basically means “smothered,” and it is a common cooking technique in the South.

This cooking technique involves making a flavorful sauce and cooking a meat or fish in it, not so long as a braise or stew, and not so short as a sauté.

There are debates over whether etouffee ought to have a roux in it, whether you can use more than one seafood (which would make it a gombo), and whether to use tomato or not.