étouffée

Étouffée is a Louisiana Cajun and Creole dish whose name means smothered in French. It typically features seafood such as shrimp or crawfish (crayfish), or occasionally chicken, cooked in a thick roux-based sauce and served over white rice. The dish is usually lighter in body than gumbo and is served with the sauce spooned over the rice.

The foundation is a roux—flour and fat cooked to a blond or light brown color—combined with the holy trinity of Louisiana vegetables: onions, celery, and bell peppers, plus garlic. Stock, usually seafood or chicken, is added to develop the sauce. The protein is simmered until tender and the sauce thickens enough to coat it. Creole versions may include tomatoes or tomato products, while Cajun versions typically omit them. Seasonings such as cayenne, paprika, thyme, and bay leaves provide heat and aroma.

Regional varieties include shrimp étouffée and crawfish étouffée. Shrimp étouffée is especially associated with New Orleans and coastal parish cooking, whereas crawfish étouffée is a staple of Cajun country in southwestern Louisiana. Both are served over white rice and commonly topped with chopped parsley and green onions, with hot sauce at the table.

The origins of étouffée are linked to Louisiana Cajun and Creole cooking; the exact development and dating are subjects of culinary debate. Regardless of origin, the dish remains a signature example of smothered, roux-based cuisine in the Gulf Coast.