Louisiana oyster stew is a rich soup made with fresh oysters and their liquor, usually combined with butter, milk, cream, aromatic vegetables, and gentle Creole seasoning. Learn how the dish is prepared, why the oysters are added near the end, and how oyster stew differs from gumbo, bisque, chowder, and older Creole oyster soups.
French court-bouillon is a light aromatic liquid used to poach fish or shellfish. Louisiana courtbouillon is a richly seasoned fish stew or gravy made with roux, tomatoes, vegetables, stock, and rice. Learn how two preparations sharing one French name became dramatically different dishes.
Louisiana courtbouillon is a richly seasoned fish stew or gravy commonly made with tomatoes, roux, aromatic vegetables, stock, and firm fish such as catfish or redfish. Learn how it is pronounced, prepared, served, and distinguished from gumbo, étouffée, and French court-bouillon.
Shrimp Creole and étouffée are both Louisiana seafood dishes served with rice, but their sauces are built differently. Learn how tomatoes, roux, stock, consistency, flavor, and cooking methods separate the two.
Shrimp Creole combines tender shrimp with a seasoned tomato-based sauce, aromatic vegetables, herbs, and rice. Learn how the Louisiana classic is prepared, how recipes vary, and how it differs from étouffée, gumbo, jambalaya, and courtbouillon.
Étouffée and gumbo may contain similar seafood, vegetables, seasonings, and roux, but they are not the same dish. Étouffée is generally a concentrated, gravy-like preparation centered on one featured ingredient, while gumbo is usually a brothier soup or stew built for a bowl.
Crawfish étouffée and shrimp étouffée use many of the same Louisiana cooking techniques, but the two shellfish create different flavors, textures, sauces, and dining experiences. Learn what separates them and why both versions belong in Louisiana cuisine.
Étouffée is a Louisiana dish in which crawfish, shrimp, or another main ingredient is smothered in a rich, seasoned sauce and served over rice. The sauce is thicker than gumbo broth but generally looser than a heavy gravy, with regional versions using butter, crawfish fat, light roux, tomatoes, stock, and aromatic vegetables.
Seafood jambalaya is a Louisiana one-pot rice dish made with shrimp, crawfish, oysters, crab, fish, or combinations of seafood. It may follow a tomato-based red Creole style or a brown, tomato-free tradition.
Louisiana seafood gumbo combines the state’s coastal abundance with African, Native American, European, Creole, and Cajun cooking traditions. Shrimp, crab, oysters, stock, roux, okra, and filé create countless regional and family variations.