Cajun prawn cakes with creole étouffée

Looking for comfort food with a kick? Etouffée is a Cajun and Creole seafood dish, and here it's paired with panko-crumbed prawn patties.

Prawn étouffée with Cajun prawn cakes. Credit: Comfort Food with Spencer Watts / Watts Entertainment

• serves

  2

• prep

  15 minutes

• cook

  30 minutes

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

Creole seasoning

• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp sweet paprika
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp onion powder
• ¼ tsp cayenne
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp sugar

Etouffe

• 12 large prawns, peeled and deveined, shells reserved for cooking and prawns set aside for prawn cakes
• 1 L chicken stock
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 green capsicum (pepper), diced
• 3 stalks celery, diced
• 1½ tbsp flour
• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• ¼ cup stout beer
• 4 dashes Worcestershire sauce
• 3 dashes hot sauce

Cajun prawn cakes

• 12 reserved prawns, pulsed in chopper to a coarse paste
• ½ onion, finely chopped
• 1 stalk celery, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• ½ tsp old bay seasoning
• ¼ cup mayo
• 1 tsp Cajun seasoning
• ¼ cup vegetable oil, for cooking
• 1½ tbsp panko breadcrumbs for prawn cake mixture
• ¼ cup panko for the finished shrimp cakes

To serve

• Sliced scallions (spring onions)
• Cooked rice

Chilling time: 10 minutes.

Instructions

1. For Cajun seasoning: In a small bowl, combine all ingredients and reserve.
2. For étouffée: In a sauce pot on medium high heat add the chicken stock and the prawn shells, allow to simmer for 2 minutes and reduce heat to low and keep warm for the étouffee.
3. In a Dutch oven on medium high heat add the oil and allow to heat, add the flour and cook while stirring constantly making a roux. Remove roux from pan when it is a dark brown colour and has a nutty smell (about 3-4 minutes). In the same pot, with an additional splash of oil, sauté the capsicum, onion, celery and garlic and cook until translucent (about 2-3 minutes). Add the roux into the vegetables and stir, then slowly add the prawn and chicken stock into the roux, one cup at a time, while stirring.
4. Once thick, add the creole seasoning, reserving 3 teaspoons of the seasoning for the prawn cakes. Finish étouffée with the Worcestershire, hot sauce and stout. Reduce heat to low and allow to simmer, remembering to stir occasionally.
5. For the prawn cakes: Combine all ingredients, including the 1½ tablespoons of the panko, in a medium-sized bowl and mix to combine.
6. Spread the ¼ cup of panko onto a baking sheet lined with baking (parchment) paper. Divide the prawn cakes into even amounts and shape into cakes with your hands. Place cakes onto the panko-dusted baking sheet and allow to firm up in the fridge (about 10 minutes).
7. In a large skillet heat ¼ cup of vegetable oil to medium-high heat. Cook the prawn cakes, panko side down, until golden (about 3 minutes). Flip cakes and allow to cook for an additional 1-2 minutes.
8. To build: Ladle étouffe into a coupe bowl and place the prawn cakes in the centre. Garnish with green onions and serve with cooked rice.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.