Shrimp Etouffee

Today for supper I made one of my favorite dishes from back home - Shrimp Etouffee. It's basically shrimp in a tomato-based sauce over rice, but when it is cooked right, this cajun dish is fantastic. It's better with crawfish, but the remoteness of where I live makes obtaining crawfish impossible.

Shrimp Etouffee

1/4 Cup + 2 tsp. butter

1/2 onion, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

clove garlic, pressed

flour

1 1/2 lbs. shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/4 Cup + 2 tsp. chopped fresh mushrooms

2 3/4 tsp. paprika

1/2 can tomato paste

salt and pepper to taste

crushed red pepper or hot sauce to taste

Worcestershire to taste

1. In a large skillet, melt butter and saute onions, celery, and garlic for about 45 minutes or until they are cooked down.
2. Stir in flour, but do not brown. Pour in 1/2 cup of water or broth and mushrooms. Stir in tomato paste and seasonings.
3. Add the shrimp and let cook for 30 minutes, stirring often. The sauce should be thick and have a gravy-like consistency.
4. Serve over cooked rice or pasta.