HARTFORD - The Connecticut Restaurant Association is kicking off it's 9th Annual Connecticut Restaurant Week happening statewide this week. Restaurants will feature special menus and deals ranging from multi-course Prix-fix menus, two-for-one specials, a percentage off your check, a specially priced bottle of wine, or a special on locally brewed craft beer.
“Connecticut Restaurant Week is all about standing out from the crowd, as chefs impress diners with good deals on Prix-fix lunches and dinners, among other specials happening throughout the state,” says Sarah Maloney, Executive Director with the Connecticut Restaurant Association. “We are so fortunate to live in a state with many great restaurants, top chefs, and a plethora of incredible farms who provide these restaurants with the freshest locally sourced products available, making this state a real foodie destination. Now is the time to try these restaurants, and take advantage of the incredible specials they have to offer.”
Elm City Social in New Haven is one of the participating restaurants. They stopped by FOX 61's Good Day Connecticut to show off some of their cuisine. Here's a dish you can even make at home:
Étouffée
- 3/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon ground thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1/3 cup diced onion
- 1/3 cup diced green bell pepper
- 1/3 cup thinly sliced celery
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, or as needed
- 1/2 cup diced tomatoes1
- 3/4 cups shell stock, or as needed
- 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 dash hot sauce, or more to taste
- salt to taste
- 1/4 cup sliced green onions
- 2 cups cooked rice, or to taste
- 1 pound monkfish
Whisk paprika, thyme, oregano, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, white pepper, and black pepper together in a small bowl.
Drain shrimp in a colander for at least 15 minutes. Transfer to a bowl lined with paper towels and dry shrimp for about 3 minutes. Remove paper towels from bowl and season shrimp with 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon spice blend. Toss to coat shrimp with spice blend.
Heat vegetable oil a large heavy skillet over high heat until oil is smoking hot. Cook shrimp in the hot oil without stirring for 1 minute; stir, and cook 1 minute more.
Transfer shrimp to a large bowl. Let stand until juice forms in bowl. Strain shrimp juices into chicken stock to total 2 cups, adding more chicken stock if necessary.
Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat until butter begins to turn tan at the edges. Saute onion, celery, and green pepper in hot butter until softened, about 5 minutes. Pour in remaining spice blend.
Sprinkle flour into vegetable mixture and saute until combined, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in tomatoes; cook until tomato juices begin to brown on bottom of pan, about 3 minutes. Whisk stock into vegetable mixture, stirring until smooth. Bring to a simmer and cook until slightly thickened and reduced to a gravy consistency, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce. Season with salt to taste.
Stir shrimp into etouffee sauce; let simmer until shrimp are cooked all the way through and no longer translucent, about 1 minute.
Garnish with green onions and a dusting of cayenne pepper. Pour over rice in large, shallow bowls.
