New Orleans Inspired Shrimp & Andouille Stew by Tom

New Orleans Inspired Shrimp & Andouille Stew by Tom

Barbara gave me the challenge of finding a way to use a package of Andouille sausage that we had purchased on impulse a while back.  Going to the internet, all I could find for the most part were gumbo recipes.  But...I did find this Andouille stew recipe at Allrecipes.com that looked intriguing.  It certainly had the look of a gumbo recipe, but without the Cajun spices and some of the other typical ingredients.  Worth a try and only took about 30 minutes to make start to finish.

A word of warning about this recipe.  It calls for 1 1/2 teaspoons of cayenne pepper.  That is what I used, and it was spicy hot.  I think if I make this again, I will cut that back to no more than a single teaspoon.  A little cayenne pepper goes a long way.

     ---Tom

Andouille Stew
(from allrecipes.com)

Serves 4-6

12 ounce package of Andouille sausage, cut into bite size pieces
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 tablespoons garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
1 1/2 teaspoons dried, ground cayenne pepper (note warning above!)
1 medium sweet potato cubed into 1/2" size pieces
1 package frozen okra
1 package frozen corn kernels
3 cups low sodium chicken broth
16 ounces uncooked shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/4 teaspoon salt

Chop up the onion and the sweet potato.  Put the sweet potato into a microwave safe bowl.  Add 1/8 cup of water and cover with plastic wrap.  You will microwave these shortly.

Cut up the Andouille sausage into bite size pieces and set aside.

While you are sautéing the onion and garlic, microwave the sweet potatoes for 3-4 minutes until they are soft.  The bowl will get hot, so put a plate under the bowl to ease removal from the microwave oven. 

In a large pot heat the olive oil over medium high heat.  Once the oil is hot, sauté the onion and garlic together for about 3-4 minutes.

Next stir in the thyme and cayenne and continue sautéing for another couple of minutes.  The onions should be soft and slightly golden in color.

Next add the frozen corn and okra.  Continue to sauté for another 5 minutes or so.  You will need to continuously stir the mixture to insure the onions and garlic do not burn.

Now add the Andouille sausage and cook for another 2-3 minutes.

Add the chicken broth and the microwaved sweet potatoes.  Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for an additional 5 minutes.

Finally add the frozen shrimp.  Cook just until the shrimp are cooked, which will only take 3-4 minutes.  Remove from the heat and serve.

To add some additional texture to the stew, I served it over Texmati rice.  I cooked the rice per the container directions and put a scoop of rice into the bottom of the bowl.  I spooned the stew over the rice and then stirred it up at the table.

We both enjoyed the stew that night, and the next night as well as a leftover.  But do monitor the amount of cayenne pepper you add.  Our dish was quite spicy hot even for me! 

But if you do find yourself with a package of Andouille sausage in your refrigerator or freezer, this is a good recipe for it.

       --Tom