Southern · Authentic-ish Southern
prawn Etouffee
256 kcal a serving, against 342 for the traditional version. That is 86 kcal off, or 25%, with 31.1g of protein. Serves 4. 1 hour.
What the traditional version is
Butter and plain flour cooked together to make a blonde roux, the base for onion, celery and pepper. Add shellfish stock, tomatoes, and simmer. Finish with raw prawns, parsley and more butter. Serve over rice.
What changed, and what each change costs
80g butter down to 25g
The original is generous with the butter for flavour and mouthfeel. Most of it goes into the roux, so by cutting two thirds and using cornflour, you'll make up for lost thickening.
What it costs you. The sauce doesn't have that gloss or depth. You don't get a nutty browned taste, and it's not as seductive. It's honest, but no one will mistake it for the version you get in a Louisiana diner.
50g plain flour for 15g cornflour
Cornflour is a faster, lighter thickener. It lets you get to the right consistency without the fat, and tastes of more or less nothing.
What it costs you. You lose all the subtle toasty notes from the roux. It's functional but a bit one-note. There's no getting round it: the original was better here.
320g prawns up to 520g
With less fat in the pot, you can afford more prawns. That's a straight win for protein and for the feeling of abundance.
What it costs you. The dish is all about the shellfish now. That's not a bad thing, unless you liked the sauce more than the prawns in the first place. Your agenda's obvious, but it works.
Add 15g skimmed milk powder
Brings a hint of that lost dairy back in, without the calories. It won't fool anyone, but it helps.
What it costs you. Still not the same as butter richness, but it's better than nothing.
The numbers
| Per serving | Traditional | Lightened |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 342 | 256 |
| Protein | 22.3g | 31.1g |
| Fat | 18.5g | 7.5g |
| Saturated fat | 10.7g | 3.8g |
| Carbohydrate | 22.9g | 17g |
| Protein per 100 kcal | 6.5g | 12.1g |
Every figure is computed from the recipe's own weighed ingredient list against public food composition databases. The appendix in Authentic-ish Southern prints the exact database row used for each ingredient, so any number here can be checked.
Allergens. celery, crustaceans, fish, gluten, milk, sulphites.
The method is in the book
Swapping roux for cornflour and piling on the prawns makes this leaner, but the price is all in the sauce. It's still good, especially for weekday cooking, but if you're after that true Cajun luxury, you'll miss the deep gloss of butter. You get a prawn-heavy stew that's hearty, lively and honest. No one will write home about the sauce, but you'll clean your plate.
The quantities and the method for this dish are in Authentic-ish Southern, along with 50 more. It is not out yet. The swap kit is free in the meantime.