You don’t have to live in the Bayou to enjoy this delightful and filling seafood stew.  I found all the ingredients at my local seafood market.  Definitely worth the time it took (allow a total of two hours) and perfect for the steamy weather ahead!

If you can find shrimp with the heads on, go for it.  The flavor imparted by allowing the heads and shells to simmer in the broth is unrivaled.  Either way, the Isocaloric Bayou Stew produced makes an outstanding dinner and a few post WOD meals or lunches.

No, I didn’t go to all the trouble of picking the crawfish meat out of the tails, you can buy that in a bag, generally frozen.  I did however eat these guys for lunch.

isocaloric Bayou Stew Nutritional Information per serving:

1/10th Bayou Stew
1/2 cup rice
Calories:  480, Protein 41 g, Fat 17 g, Carbs 41 g (33/33/33%’s)

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds heads on unpeeled, large shrimp (if you can’t find them with the heads on it’s not a dealbreaker)
2 celery ribs
1 large sweet onion
8 cups homemade chicken stock (organic chicken broth can be subbed)
1 lb andouille sausage, cut into 1/2 – inch pieces
1 poblano pepper, seeded and chopped
3/4 cup green bell pepper, chopped
1 cup fresh okra, sliced
2 tablespoons lard or coconut oil
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 lb Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cubed
12 oz dry white wine
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons Creole seasoning
1 1/2 pound wild caught catfish (snapper or grouper may be subbed), cubed
1 pound cooked crawfish tails
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
5 cups cooked white rice, divided

Preparation

Peel shrimp; place heads (if using) and shells in a saucepan. Refrigerate shrimp until ready to use. Add celery ends and onion peel to pan; chop remaining celery and onion and reserve.  Add the stock; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook sausage in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat, stirring often until browned. Transfer to a plate.  Add the lard or coconut oil to the pan and reduce heat to medium.  Saute celery, onions, peppers and okra in the oil until tender. Add the garlic and saute 45 seconds longer.  Stir in the potatoes and next 4 ingredients.

Pour stock mixture through a fine wire-mesh strainer into the Dutch oven or soup pot, discarding the solids. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Add the fish; cook 2 to 3 minutes or until just opaque.  Add shrimp; cook 2-3 minutes or just until shrimp turn pink. Stir in crawfish and cook 2 to 3 minutes or until hot.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Place 1/2 cup of cooked rice into a warmed soup bowl and top with 1/10th of the stew  serving immediately. Enjoy!

For more Power Athlete friendly recipes check out my blog Paula Lean Primal Queen!

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