Sunday, September 15, 2019

Welcome Ellen Byron!










A very warm welcome to Ellen Byron today! This recipe will leave you craving Cajun food. I'm wondering if I have any shrimp in the freezer!

Don't miss Ellen's Giveaway at the end of this post!








PELICAN, LOUISIANA – THE ST. MARY MEAD of CAJUN COUNTRY

Today is the birthday of the author to whom I credit my passion for mysteries – Dame Agatha Christie. I like to describe Pelican, the fiction town in my Cajun Country Mystery series, as a Cajun Brigadoon. But it’s also a Louisiana version of Miss Marple’s village, St. Mary Mead. A lovely, bucolic setting with a disproportionate number of murders. It’s a place you’d love to visit… as long as you stay out of trouble.

Dame Agatha didn’t include recipes in her books, which might have something to do with England’s then-reputation for lackluster cuisine. I faced a different problem. I’m not a cook by nature – maybe Agatha wasn’t either – but how could I not include recipes when I’m writing about a region famous for its cuisine?

When I was musing about what recipes I might add to FATAL CAJUN FESTIVAL, my latest Cajun Country Mystery, Shrimp Etouffee quickly came to mind. “Etouffee” literally means “smothered” in French. In Cajun cooking, that translates to a delicious dish of shrimp or crawfish smothered in a veggie-laden sauce.

The recipe I created is definitely more Cajun than Creole because it doesn’t include tomatoes, a staple of many Creole dishes. This really lets the flavors of the “Holy Trinity” of Cajun cooking – onions, green pepper, and celery – stand out. Plus, it’s easy to make but looks impressive. Guests will think you spent hours slaving over a hot stove!

Oh, how I wish I could have served this dish to Agatha Christie to thank her for setting me on a path that changed my life.

Ingredients:
½ lb. butter or light butter
1 cup chopped onion
½ cup chopped green bell pepper
¼ cup chopped celery
2 T. minced garlic
2 T. dried parsley flakes
½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. Cajun Seasoning, like Tony Chachere’s
1 T. flour (or 2 T. if you want to thicken the sauce more)
1 cup either shrimp stock, crawfish stock, chicken stock, or water
1 lb. peeled shrimp or peeled crawfish tails
6 cups cooked white rice

Instructions:
Using medium to high heat, melt the butter in a heavy, large skillet. Add the onion, pepper, celery, garlic, parsley, salt, and Cajun seasoning. Stir well to combine all the ingredients, then reduce the heat a bit and cook until the onion softens. Add the flour, stirring well. As soon as the flour is absorbed, add the stock slowly until you’ve added it all to the mixture, stirring well to combine. Simmer the mixture until it bubbles, add the shrimp or crawfish, and stir well. Bring the mixture to a bubble again,  then reduce the heat to low. Cover the skillet and simmer the etouffe for ten to fifteen minutes, stirring occasionally.

Serve over 1 cup of white rice per serving. Or…

Except for the butter, this recipe is pretty low-calorie. If you want to make it even more so, served it over riced cauliflower instead of rice.

Also, have hot sauce handy for anyone who prefers their Cajun food with a kick!

Serves 6.










 





 
To enter the giveaway, please leave a comment with your email address (so we can notify you!).






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96 comments:

  1. Welcome to MLK Ellen and congrats on the new mystery! The shrimp look delish and I'd love to be invited to dinner with Dame Agatha:)

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    1. Thanks so much, Lucy! I'm proud of myself for this recipe. An adaptation that worked! (Unlike some movie versions of Agatha books, lol)

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  2. I have enjoyed all the other books in this series. The family is full of fun. suefoster109 at gmail dot com

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  3. I love this series! The etouffee dish looks delicious and sounds easy enough that I could make it. cking78503(at)aol(dot)com

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    1. Thanks so much, Chris! And this recipe IS easy to make. Enjoy!

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  4. That looks so great. I love all the recipes in Ellen's books.

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    1. What a compliment, coming from one of my favorite authors!

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  5. Great looking recipe. Adding this book to my must read list.

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  6. An amazing series! Thank you for entertaining all of us! Already on my list. =) konecny7(at)gmail(dot)com

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  7. I love recipes like this, and thank you for offering the giveaway.
    browninggloria(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  8. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  9. Ellen, I prefer Cajun over Creole and LOVE Shrimp Etouffe. My husband adds Golden Mushroom Soup to ours. My favorite, cause I get to eat all the mushrooms! Thankyou for the great recipe. minishoes(at)msn(dot)com

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    1. Oooh, sounds delicious. I prefer Cajun, too. But ssshhh... don't tell all my NOLA friends!

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  10. AM
    I use to labor making etouffee from scratch, then I found Louisiana Fish Fry's crawfish etouffee mix. Use a can of chicken stock for some of the liquid and you have an easy delicious meal. Love your books. Would love my own copy of your latest. rgp1950@yahoo.com

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    1. Thanks so much for the great tip. I love all the shortcuts out there, like Tony Chachere's dry Roux mix. Good luck!

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    2. Tony’s is my go to seasoning, always.

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  11. That looks yummy! robinswebhotmailcom

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  12. I used to eat Cajun in Texas...thank you for the new recipe. I am happy you mentioned Agatha Christie, one of my favorite Authors. Thank you for the contest.
    Marilyn ewatvess@yahoo.com

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  13. I’m just starting to read cozy mysteries and I absolutely love them. Love your book cover and the recipe sounds delicious. I’d really enjoy reading this. Thank you for the chance.

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    1. Welcome to the cozy community, Jeanne! We're thrilled to have you.

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  14. Your series is delightful and this dish enticing. Thanks for this lovely feature and giveaway. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

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    1. Thank you so much for the lovely compliment! I hope you get to make this recipe.

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  15. Address for my above comment is jeanne2@uakron.edu

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  16. I’m allergic to shellfish, but I love this series and would be thrilled to win the new book! lgillettemartin@gmail.com

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    1. Lisa, thanks so much, and here's a tip on how to enjoy this recipe - skip the shellfish. Substitute chicken instead. Trust me, it will still be delicious!

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  17. That looks so good! I am not much of a cook, but I love to eat. I have read several of the books in this series and I am looking forward to reading this one. NanB113@aol.com

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    1. Nan, here's the irony of my series. I'm not much of a cook either. No joke, the recipes are sometimes the hardest part of my books. But even I could make this recipe. So take heart! And thanks so much for reading my books. :-)

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  18. I've never had Cajun before so this looks like a good recipe to start with. Excited to read this book too. Thanks for the chance.
    kozo8989@hotmail.com

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    1. Good luck! And once you have Cajun food, you'll be so glad you did. ;-)

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  19. I love mysteries, Agatha Christie and books. And it's my birthday too..

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  20. Karen, sorry forgot my name on my post. Another year younger you know

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    1. Happy birthday, Karen! Yup, read both messages. ;-)

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  21. I'm always excited to read new books. Thanks! -mollie.

    Iemercedez@aol.com

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  22. This recipe looks delicious! I just finished The Body in the Library. Love Agatha Christie!! Your book looks fantastic. Thanks for the chance.
    tami.norman@gmail.com

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  23. Your recipe is exactly how I make shrimp or crawfish etouffee, except, I use a little less butter. It is an easy and quick recipe. My family loves it.

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    1. Lol, I definitely went heavy on the butter. But I figure, everything else in it is nutritious and once you divvy it up, the butter gets evenly divided between eaters, so... oh, I'll stop justifying it!

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  24. Happy Birthday, Ms. Agatha! ckmbeg (at) gmail (dot) com

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  25. Congratulations on the release of "Fatal Cajun Festival ". This is a great series, can't wait to read.
    diannekc8(at)gmail(dot)com

    dianne

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  26. Impressive recipe for someone who claims not to be a cook by nature. You could have fooled me! Love the cover of your new book, and I'm looking forward to reading it. mbradeen [at] yahoo [dot] com

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  27. Recipe looks great! Legallyblonde1961@yahoo.com

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  28. I seem to be getting ready to dive deep into Ellen Byron books! LOL I am really glad I met you on Facebook because I had no idea these Cajun books existed. I just copied this recipe because it looks and sound delicious.

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    1. Lol, Laurie! And I'm so glad you copied the recipe.

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  29. Sounds delicious and I'm saving the recipe.i can't wait to read fatal Cajun festival! Love the series! Donakutska7@gmail.com

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  30. Those are happy looking shrimp.
    libbydodd at comcast dot net

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  31. Live the cajun setting and cajun food.

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  32. I love Agatha Christie, too! The recipe and the book both sound great! Can't wait to try your recipe and read your book.
    Heidiark@yahoo.com

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  33. Your covers win me over immediately since you have a Basset Hound on it. As a previous owner of one they sure can be silly at times. Your recipe sounds delicious. robeader53(at)yahoo(dot)com

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    1. Our darling, departed Lucy. We miss her. And thanks!

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  34. Love the cover. The basset hound is so cute. Thanks for the chance. sclickner at juno dot com

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  35. Thank you for the wonderful sounding recipe! Although we live in Arkansas, hubby and I must have some Cajun in our background because we both love the food. Your recipe would hit the spot on our table. We love just about anything that has to do with shrimp.

    Can't wait for the opportunity to read "FATAL CAJUN FESTIVAL". Thank you for the wonderful opportunity to win a copy! <3 Shared and hoping.
    2clowns at arkansas dot net

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  36. Always like to try new authors.
    bookselr@sbcglobal.net

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  37. I will have to try this series. It sounds great! The recipe sounds yummy.
    cecilialyoung at gmail dot com

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    1. Thanks! Hope you like the series...and the recipe!

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  38. I love cozy mysteries and would love the chance to win this! Thanks! Katherinestamps at msn dot com

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  39. Looks delicious! 😋 My husband will love this, though I may have to experiment on a version w/ out peppers for myself.

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  40. I'm not a big fan of green peppers myself, but they somehow really jive with the Cajun "holy trinity." Onions, celery, green peppers.

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  41. Recipe looks good. Love Agatha Christie books! She’s the best! Thanks for the chance to win!
    faithdcreech at gmail dot com

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  42. Love this series and can't wait to read the new book!! mcastor07 (at) gmail (dot) com.

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  43. Thanks so much for the chance!
    cjreynolds52(@)comcast(dot)net

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  44. I can't wait to read Fatal Cajun Festival - thanks for the chance and the recipe.

    jtcgc at yahoo dot com

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  45. A new to me series. I love shrimp! I might have to try this sometime.
    ElaineE246 at msn dot com

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  46. Congrats on your latest in this fun series! I would love to win this one! lindaherold999(at)gmail(dot)com

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  47. This looks really good. I am going to try it!! Thank you for posting it! Your book looks awesome, as well. Would love to win. bentleyboy22(at)comcast(dot)net

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  48. I love this series! The recipe looks yummy. Thanks for the chance.
    kpowers784(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  49. i loved Agatha Christie books growing up. I shared them with my daughter who still reads mysteries at 32. I have a lot of her books still. I think time to re-read them. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
    quilting dash lady at comcast dot net

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  50. The recipe looks delicious, thanks for sharing it. doward1952(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  51. I love your series. The recipe looks delicious but I would probably use red peppers instead of green. They like me better.

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  52. I agree with you on ms Agatha should have included recipes in her books. Especially her poirot books. He was loved cooking and having his friends over. Thank you for this opportunity to win one of your books (rosacline90@gmail.com)

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  53. I've got shrimp in the freezer---and this recipe in my very near future, like tonight.
    farrell@crosslake.net

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  54. Loved reading this book ( ARC ). Great series
    judytucker1947@gmail.com

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