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!
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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
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.
she'd have this brightly colored dish in her kitchen!
Next, she'd make a roux and simmer those vegetables in it.
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!
The shrimp go in next then the fresh chopped green onions and parsley.
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.
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.
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Shrimp Stew With Eggs
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
Ingredients
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 ½ cups onion, chopped
½ cup celery, chopped
½ cup bell pepper, chopped
4 pods garlic, pressed
6 cups water
2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
½ teaspoon salt
2 pounds shrimp, peeled and cleaned
¼ cup green onions, sliced
¼ cup parsley, chopped
8 whole eggs
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.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
- Category: Main Dishes
- Method: Stew
- Cuisine: Cajun
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
Jeremi Romero
Hello! I stumbled across your blog after googling different cajun/creole recipes. After seeing so many of your recipes looking to be "the real deal" (as they are what I grew up on and VERY similar to how my family cooks), I realized it's because you are from Vermilion Parish! My family also hails from Vermilion Parish, specifically Kaplan, LA. After my dad retired from the Air Force, we settled in Austin, TX, where I still live today. However, we still visit our many relatives in Kaplan whenever we get a chance, particularly my cousins Mrs. Earline Roy, Mr. Leroy Broussard (retired Dean of Admissions at UL Lafayette), and my aunt Mrs. Leontine Romero Hebert before she recently passed at 101 years old. Certainly, I will now be a new frequent follower of your wonderful blog!! Thanks for sharing your amazing recipes and stories with us!
Louisiana Woman
Oh, I love hearing how you stumbled upon the blog and identified with classic Cajun cooking from nowhere else but Kaplan! They call Vermilion Parish the most Cajun place on earth and I agree! You do realize we are probably kin somewhere down the line? So glad you are enjoying the recipes and thanks for following along. Good to meet you! ?
CajunLady
Wow, and here I thought my Momma was the only one who put eggs in her shrimp gumbos and stews! She would drop the raw eggs into the gumbos but always boiled the eggs, cut them in half, and put them in the shrimp stew right before serving. She also added sliced boiled eggs to her petite pois (sweet peas), as well. We're in southeast LA, so it's not too far from where you grew up. So interesting that your recipes are more like our cooking than what I've seen of the Lafayette-New Iberia area.
Louisiana Woman
I love hearing the slight similarities and differences in cooking from our beloved south Louisiana. Thanks for commenting. It's very encouraging.
Brenna
I just tried making this and there must be ingredients missing or the measurements are way off or both. Can you please advise? Such a waste 🙁
Louisiana Woman
Oh, I’m so sorry . I just looked the recipe over and it looks fine. Can you tell me what you think went wrong?
Brenna
Hi, sorry if you get two responses. I halved the recipe but followed all of the directions. I am confused as to how 1.5 teaspoons of Cajun seasoning would come through in such a large roux and 6 cups of water. My final product just tasted like flour water even after loads of salt and Cajun seasoning. Where does the main flavour come from in this dish?
Louisiana Woman
Brenna, I am going to remake this recipe and get back to you. My desire is to give you and others recipes you can trust. Thank you for making me aware of your experience. I will get back with you soon!
Brenna
Thanks, chat soon!
Louisiana Woman
Brenna, I made the Shrimp Stew With Eggs again today, cutting the recipe in half as you did. The results were the same delicious pot of stew as if I'd made the whole recipe. From your previous comments, I'm thinking that maybe your roux wasn't dark enough. I got this one pretty dark, the color of chocolate. The roux is the base of the stew, where it gets a lot of its flavor. The vegetables cook in the browned roux for 10 minutes to soften and release their flavors, then the 3 cups of water simmer with the roux mixture for 30 minutes. I skimmed some grease off the top of the stew before adding the shrimp and seasonings. I also increased the cajun seasoning by 1/2 teaspoon. Before dropping the eggs in, I did thin the stew with a bit of water to soften the roux flavor and bring out the shrimp taste. That did the trick! The adjustments have been updated on the blog post's recipe. Thank you bunches for letting me know, and I hope these hints help you to try this tasty dish again. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I do have a post called A Roux Lesson if you need assistance in making a roux. Good chatting with you!
Gary
I made shrimp stock for this recipe, Tre Bien!
Louisiana Woman
Yes! It's always a good thing to make a simple stock before throwing out those shrimp shells. Thanks for letting us know.