Tasty Tuesday: Who Dat Étouffée

This is a modern twist on a Cajun Classic. Instead of  a brown sauce it uses white sauce and it's served with pasta instead of rice. Enjoy and it goes down well with an ice cold beer, a nice white wine or Southern Sweet Tea with fresh Mint.

Ingredients:

-3 cups Heavy Cream
-¼ cup of Sweet Cream Butter
-3 Tbsp Olive Oil
-3 Cloves of Fresh Garlic (Chopped very fine)
-½ cup of White Wine
-1 ea Green Bell Pepper (small dice)
-1 ea Red Bell Pepper (small dice)
-1 ea Yellow Bell Pepper (small dice)
-1 ea Red Onion (small dice)
-2 stalk Celery (small dice)
-2 lbs Shrimp
-1 lb Sausage (Andouille) cut into circles
-1 cup Chicken Stock
-2 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
-¼ cup of Cajun Seasoning
-Louisiana Hot Sauce
-¼ tsp Liquid Smoke
-1 lb Cooked Pasta (Penne or Gemelli)
-¼ cup of Fresh Grated Ramano Cheese

Directions:

Place cream in a pan (thick bottom) on medium/high heat. Bring cream to a boil and reduce heat to low and simmer for at least 15 minutes. (Do not let cream boil over. This is very important!)

In a bowl use about half of the Cajun seasoning and the Olive Oil to coat the Shrimp and the Sausage. Set aside.

Pre Heat a sauté pan. Add butter and vegetables and cook for about 5 minutes until onions are tender. Add garlic. (very important not to add garlic too soon or it will burn and become very bitter)

Add Sausage and Shrimp and cook until shrimp is cooked about half way.

Add White Wine and Chicken Stock continue to cook until shrimp is fully cooked and sausage is warmed through. Allow liquid to reduce by half.

Add heavy cream, mustard, and liquid smoke and hot sauce (to taste) to sauté pan and allow to simmer. As mixture simmers it will begin to reduce and thicken.

Warm Pasta and mix with reduced cream mixture. Starch from pasta will further thicken mixture. If it becomes too thick add a little chicken stock to loosen up. The sauce should stick to the pasta and pool at the bottom of the pan.

Plate up on a large bowl or plate and top with fresh grated cheese. Top with fresh chopped parsley and serve hot.

** you can add more Cajun Seasoning and Hot Sauce if you like it hot or less if you have a more tender pallet**