Name: Shrimp Stew With Eggs
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 1 h 40 min
Total time: 2 h 10 min
Cuisine: Cajun
Ingredients: 1 cup vegetable oil; 1 cup all-purpose flour; 1 1/2 cups onion, chopped; 1/2 cup celery, chopped; 1/2 cup bell pepper, chopped; 4 pods garlic, pressed; 6 cups water; 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 2 pounds shrimp, peeled and cleaned; 1/4 cup green onions, sliced; 1/4 cup parsley, chopped; 8 whole eggs

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There are two ways to make Shrimp Stew With Eggs. One is to boil the eggs and add them to the stew's gravy, but recently I've discovered another way that I think I might like better. It starts with a rich roux then ends with freshly cracked eggs poured right into the gravy for poaching. A delicious denouement to another classic Cajun dish. If you like a soft-centered egg, you may prefer it this way, too!

A white bowl of shrimp stew on rice with a poached eggs cut into with a fork.

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One Way

My MaMaw Greene is remembered for her Shrimp Stew With Eggs along with many other things. What I loved about her most were her hospitality and her style. She was a shopper and a good dresser (a bit on the flashy side). Always a giver and loved making people feel welcome in her home by continually asking if they wanted something to eat or drink. Yes, trying to say no to her was exhausting!

Back to her shrimp stew. It was made with the nearby fresh Gulf shrimp which she didn't have to catch, but she did have to spend time peeling. Now that I'm older I've come to understand it was a labor of love. Not just for us but for the love of eating that fresh catch of shrimp.

If you're looking for an easy way to peel shrimp, here's a post about The Shrimp Tool. Using this handy gadget has saved me time and makes less mess in the kitchen.

After preparing the shellfish MaMaw would chop the vegetables.

A white bowl lined on the inside with colorfully drawn crabs filled with chopped onions, bell peppers, and celery. — This is not her bowl but if she were still alive
she'd have this brightly colored dish in her kitchen!

Next, she'd make a roux and simmer those vegetables in it.

A silver pot of dark roux with chopped onions, bell peppers, and celery stirred into.

Now, I don't know if she did this, but I add water and let that sauce cook for at least a half hour. Something amazing happens to the roux, vegetables, and water during this time. It's the start of something beautiful!

A measuring cup of water poured into silver pot of roux stirred with a silver spoon.

The shrimp go in next then the fresh chopped green onions and parsley.

Fresh shrimp being spooned into a pot of rich dark stew.

This is the time my grandmother would boil and peel the eggs and add them to the stew. A friend of mine slices into the egg whites before adding them to the gravy to ensure more flavor gets into the eggs. Yum!

Another Way for Shrimp And Egg Stew

This summer our family has a new addition with the wedding of my niece, Camille to her Brian. One of the first things I heard about this young man was that this past Mother's Day he made his momma a Shrimp Stew With Eggs. But not like our Cajun family with boiled eggs. His Cajun family adds the fresh eggs right into their shrimp stew.

How sweet that he cooked for his momma that day and how interesting the differences families have in cooking! I had never heard of this way before and had to know how he does it. So at their wedding, he took the time to tell me. By the way, it was a beautiful wedding and the jambalaya his family prepared was delicious. Another one of their specialties!

In this new-to-me method, you have to cut the heat off from the pot, so the stew stops bubbling completely. Then you crack the eggs into a small dish pouring them into the stew, leaving enough room between them not to stick together. There are no stringy eggs left in the stew by using this method.

Fresh egg poured into a pot of gravy with eggs yolks sitting in the gravy for poaching.

Turn the heat back on and cover the pot to allow the stew to softly boil and let the steam poach the eggs until they are white but still soft in the center. The eggs are delicious in this stew taking on the taste of the shrimp and rich gravy flavored and thickened by the roux.

Shrimp Stew With Eggs

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This rich shrimp stew starts with a roux then ends with freshly cracked eggs poured right into the gravy for poaching. Delicious on a bed of rice!

Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
Yield: 8 servings 1x

Instructions

The Roux

In a large pot, heat the oil then add the flour and stir until the roux is a little darker than cocoa, like the color of milk chocolate.

The Stew

Add the onions, celery, bell pepper, and cook for about 10 minutes or until they are soft, stirring the garlic in during the last few minutes.

Pour in the water and bring it to a slow boil, cooking for 30 minutes uncovered.

Skim any oil off of the top of the stew.

Add the shrimp, seasonings, parsley, and green onions and cook on a slow boil for 15 minutes, slightly covered, and lower heat.

Taste to adjust the seasoning and add very little water at a time if the stew is too thick or the roux taste is too strong, then turn off the heat from the pot.

After the stew stops bubbling, crack the eggs one at a time into a small bowl and pour them into the gravy, being careful to evenly space them in the sauce.

Turn the heat back on and allow the stew to come to a slow boil.

Cover the pot and let the steam poach the eggs for about 10 minutes or until the center is cooked to your preference.

Serve over cooked rice.

Notes

Make sure the shrimp are clean removing the black line from their backs and that they don't have any shells left on them.

Author: Louisiana Woman
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
Category: Main Dishes
Method: Stew
Cuisine: Cajun

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Check out these shrimp recipes Shrimp And Corn Soup, Shrimp Okra Gumbo, Shrimp And Crawfish Pasta, Easy Boiled Shrimp, Shrimp Creole, and Crawfish Fettuccine (Or Shrimp If You Prefer) on the blog.

I hope you enjoy them all!

"Nothing can bring a real sense of security into the home except true love."

Billy Graham

Shrimp Stew With Eggs