etouffee?

[Nancy Nurse]

Does anyone know what "etouffee" in french means? (literally)

[kentgirl]

Here's what Merriam Webster's Collegiate Dictionary says:
Main Entry: étouf·fée
Variant(s): also etouf·fee /"A-tü-'fA/
Function: noun
Etymology: Louisiana French, from French à l'étouffée braised, from feminine of étouffer, past participle of étouffer to smother, from Old French estofer, alteration of estoper to plug up -- more at ESTOP
Date: circa 1933
: a Cajun stew of shellfish or chicken served over rice

[AndreaU]

If memory serves me right (after having visited New Orleans about 15 years ago), I believe "etouffee" means "smotherd," as in a stew or sauce.

[Gail]

I thought it simply meant "stew."

...of course, we're all more or less saying that... http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif