This recipe has been an Alison classic for a long time. I have shared it with many friends and family and it is time that it comes to the blog. I love Cajun food. It is a passion of mine to create recipes for Cajun dishes. Etoufee is a classic Cajun dish and this recipe is made with trout!
This recipe was born because I am always looking for more ways to use trout. I have a freezer full and need more reasons to go fishing. That’s what I tell myself. Shrimp, crawfish, and catfish are more common in Cajun cooking, but I have trout therefore, trout etoufee was born.
The holey trinity in Cajun cooking are onions, peppers, and celery. I don’t use celery in my cajun cooking because it is not something I keep in the house. It is not a pantry staple of mine and therefore gets left out of my cajun dishes. Some may consider this wrong, but it still think it tastes just as good.
The roux is a very important part of etoufee. You are essentially cooking the flour in oil until it browns. This browning process adds so much flavor to the dish. The roux might be the most important part of the dish because of how much flavor it adds. The roux will start as a golden color, the color of your oil. It will start to brown and then become a dark peanut butter-brown color. This is when you know you have the right depth of color in your roux. See the photos above to see a proper change in color of your roux.
Etoufee can be very spicy…. Or not. I prefer a medium heat, and I achieve it by using a Louisiana style hot sauce in moderation. Adjust the recipe according to your preference for heat. More cayenne and Louisiana sauce will lend more heat. You should try this recipe with any kind of fish, shrimp, or crawfish that you have. It is a keeper. Enjoy!
- 2 cups brown rice
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ large green bell pepper, diced
- ½ large onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 large slicing tomato, diced, or 2 large roma tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons old bay seasoning
- 1 cup fish stock or veggie broth
- 1 TBS Louisiana-style hot sauce
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 lb trout fillets, thinly sliced
- Cook brown rice according to package instructions.
- Heat oil in a heavy bottomed skillet (I prefer Cast Iron) over medium heat. Add flour and stir constantly for 10-15 minutes, or until it turns a peanut butter brown color. This is your roux.
- Add onions and bell pepper to the roux and saute 5-10 minutes, or until you reach your desired level of softness in the vegetables. Add garlic and saute 1 more minute.
- Add tomato through stock and simmer 20 minutes, uncovered, stirring occasionally.
- Mix in Louisiana sauce, cayenne, and trout. Cook 10 more minutes or until trout is opaque.
- Serve with brown rice.
4 responses to “Trout Etoufee”