Langoustine Étouffée

This luxurious Cajun inspired langoustine etouffee with tender langoustine simmered in a rich spicy sauce with onions, bell peppers, and celery – flavorful and delicious!

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Cajun Langoustine Etouffee

When I was in my 20’s and worked in the Senate, I had some friends move to Louisiana to work some local political races. I was thrilled- New Orleans had always been towards the top of my travel bucket list and a place I was dying to visit. I wasn’t particularly drawn to Mardi Gras- but I definitely wanted to experience the French Quarter, Bourbon Street, drink hurricanes (which I found out I am unfortunately allergic to- which is a long story in and of itself)- and eat my weight in gumbo, boudin, po’ boys, crawfish, beignets, and gallons of étouffée. There is no doubt that I love food in general- but I really, really love creole food. It’s spicy, bursting with flavor, full of peppers and onions- and often loaded with crawfish and other seafood. I was in heaven!

After finding an absolute steal on langoustine- a European crustacean kind of like a cross between a lobster and a crawfish- I wanted to come up with a delicious étouffée  like the ones I sampled in New Orleans. This Langoustine Étouffée is an amazingly rich, complex, slightly sweet and spicy dish- and it is incredibly easy to make at home!

Langoustine are a really easy ingredient to work with- but being in Northern Colorado, they aren’t something I come across often. Since Trader Joe’s just opened in Fort Collins, however, I rediscovered my love for them! I usually shirk from buying pre-cooked seafood, but I’ve never had any fishy flavor with their langoustines, and at $7.99, it is a total steal and a relatively inexpensive addition to make this dish budget friendly for a dinner party (compared to other seafood options).

A big part of the flavor of this dish comes from layering lots of sautéed peppers and onions, as well as making a roux to thicken the tomato based sauce. This adds a little time to the cooking- but don’t rush it. All you need to do is stir occasionally to be sure they don’t burn- but give them time to brown and break down. This won’t take more than 30 minutes- pour yourself a cold beer, and give it time!

You can also make the étouffée a little before serving- just add a little more stock to make it a bit thinner so you can keep it heated on the stove until you’re ready to go- and leave the langoustines off until the end. This will prevent the dish from drying out or the fish from getting too gummy.

Since I’m using pre-cooked langoustine from Trader Joe’s, you really just want them to heat up – you do NOT want to overcook them. If you’re using fresh langoustine (lucky you!!) or crawfish, add them in with about 5-8 minutes on high to cook until they are opaque and pink- like shrimp.

More Favorite Recipes

Steamed White Rice – A simple bed of fluffy white rice makes the perfect canvas for soaking up the étouffée’s flavorful sauce.

Cornbread – A slice of moist cornbread can complement the spices and textures in the dish.

Coleslaw – A crisp, creamy coleslaw adds a refreshing contrast to the rich and spicy étouffée.

Grits – Creamy grits offer a comforting base that blends seamlessly with the étouffée.

Green Salad – A light, leafy green salad dressed with a simple vinaigrette can cut through the richness of the dish.

Garlic Bread – For sopping up the sauce, nothing beats warm, buttery garlic bread.

Cucumber Salad – A chilled cucumber salad with dill and yogurt can provide a cool, tangy relief from the dish’s heat.

Try these other delicious soup recipes:

Beef and Parsnip Stew

One Pot Cheeseburger Soup

Creamy Hash Brown Hamburger Soup

Easy Classic Beef Stew

Stirring your mixture is a really important part of this dish. It’s not going to look all that delicious in the beginning- it will look a bit pale. But give it time to cook down, and rich delicious flavor will build on itself as your étouffée color begins to get deeper and darker.

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4.19 from 22 votes

Langoustine Étouffée

By: Courtney O’Dell

Servings: 6 servings

Prep: 5 minutes mins

Cook: 40 minutes mins

Total: 45 minutes mins

Langoustine étouffée is a luxurious Cajun-inspired dish where tender langoustines are simmered in a rich, spicy sauce made with the holy trinity of onions, bell peppers, and celery, delivering a flavorful and hearty seafood experience.

Equipment

• Lodge 6 Quart Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven with Lid – Dual Handles – Oven Safe up to 500° F or on Stovetop – Use to Marinate, Cook, Bake, Refrigerate and Serve – Blue

Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 2 tbsp olive oil
• ▢ 2 bell peppers, diced
• ▢ 2 onions, diced
• ▢ 8 cloves of garlic, diced
• ▢ 2 tbsp flour
• ▢ ½ cup milk or cream
• ▢ 1 can diced tomatoes
• ▢ 1 cup fish stock
• ▢ 2 tsp emeril’s essence
• ▢ 12 oz. langoustine tails- cooked or uncooked, add 5 minutes for uncooked
• ▢ 1 tsp smoked paprika
• ▢ 1 tsp tabasco sauce
• ▢ 1 cup rice
• ▢ 1 bunch cilantro, to garnish

Instructions 

• In a large, heavy pan, heat olive oil on medium until shimmery.
• Add onions and peppers, stirring occasionally, until browned.
• Add garlic.
• In small pan, combine flour and milk and heat on medium, stirring constantly, until mixture browns slightly to create a roux.
• Add roux to vegetables, let sauté and stir occasionally for two minutes.
• Add stock, spices and tomatoes, cook on medium until sauce browns and reduces to a gravy consistency.
• Cook rice in another pan- 1 cup of long grain white rice to two cups of water.
• When rice is ready, scoop a rounded 1/2 cupful into a bowl, and top with étouffée.
• Garnish with cilantro or parsley and enjoy!

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 207kcalCarbohydrates: 36gProtein: 5gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gSodium: 250mgPotassium: 355mgFiber: 3gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 1580IUVitamin C: 61mgCalcium: 55mgIron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Main Dishes

Cuisine: French

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