Strawberry Blond Crab & Shrimp Etouffee

6 servings Prep: 20 m Cook: 45 m Total: 1 h 5 m Intermediate
5.0/5 (3)
Strawberry Blond Crab & Shrimp Etouffee
Crab & shrimp in a light red sauce. Delicious! No crabs on hand? Gumbo crabs from the supermarket work well, or use shrimp only. This Louisiana-style étouffée has a beautiful pink color from the Rotel tomatoes and cream of shrimp - that’s where the ‘strawberry blond’ name comes from!

Ingredients

6 servings
  • 2 pounds cleaned shrimp
  • 12 to 16 sm/med cleaned crabs
  • 2 cans Rotel tomatoes
  • 2 cans Cream of Shrimp
  • 2 cups onion blend (a combination of chopped onion, bell pepper and celery)
  • 1 stick butter or margarine
  • Tony's Seasoning to taste
  • Garlic Powder to taste
  • 1 cup chopped green onions/scallions

Step-by-Step Instructions

  1. Start by sautéing your onion blend (onions, bell pepper, and celery) in butter in a Dutch Oven/Magnalite Pot. Season to taste with Tony’s.
  2. Drain Rotel tomatoes, reserving the liquid. Add the tomatoes to the sautéed onions. Sprinkle with garlic powder and cook it down for about 15 minutes on medium heat.
  3. Add shrimp to mixture and sauté until pink, about 5-7 minutes. Add the Rotel liquid gradually, stirring and monitoring texture. In the meantime, between stirring your sauté, make sure your crabs are clean.
  4. Add 2 cans of Cream of Shrimp and 1 can of water, stir until mixed well then add the crabs. One-by-one place them along the edge of your pot with their lil claws toward the middle. Spoon some sauce into the center of each crab body and cover the pot. Let them cook on low-medium heat for about 25 minutes.
  5. Sprinkle chopped green onions over sauce and stir lightly, cover for 5 minutes then it’s ready to serve! Serve over rice.

Common Problems and Solutions

Q: Why is my sauce too thin?

A: Make sure you're adding the reserved Rotel liquid gradually rather than all at once. You can also let it simmer uncovered for a few extra minutes to reduce and thicken. The cream of shrimp should provide good body to the sauce.

Q: Can I use frozen crabs?

A: Yes, but make sure they're fully thawed and well-drained before adding to the pot. Frozen crabs may release extra water, so you might need less of the reserved Rotel liquid.

Q: My shrimp overcooked and got rubbery. What happened?

A: Shrimp cook very quickly - just until pink, about 5-7 minutes. They'll continue cooking when you add them back with the crabs, so slightly undercooking during the initial sauté is fine.

Tips and Techniques

The key to this dish is the layering of flavors - don’t rush the 15-minute tomato cook-down, as this concentrates the flavors and builds the base. When placing the crabs around the edge of the pot with claws facing in, you’re not just making it pretty - this arrangement ensures even cooking and makes serving easier.

Ingredient Substitutions

  • Rotel tomatoes: 1 can diced tomatoes plus 1 small can diced green chiles
  • Cream of Shrimp soup: Cream of Celery or Cream of Mushroom soup
  • gumbo crabs: lump crabmeat (1-2 pounds)
  • butter: oil or a combination of butter and oil

Equipment Needed

  • Dutch Oven or Magnalite Pot (heavy-bottomed pot)
  • Wooden spoon for stirring
  • Can opener

Historical Context

While traditional étouffée is typically made with a blonde roux and stock, this ‘strawberry blond’ version represents the evolution of Cajun home cooking, using convenient modern ingredients like canned cream soups while maintaining that comforting Louisiana flavor.