When you're craving some Cajun comfort food, this traditional crawfish étouffée will satisfy it! It's loaded with briny crawfish tails, the holy trinity of Louisiana cooking (onions, celery, bell pepper) and simmered in a spicy seafood sauce. Great with rice and a dash of hot sauce.
½red, yellow or orange bell pepperseeded and chopped
1stalkcelerychopped
1tablespoon minced garlic
5tablespoonsall purpose flour
1teaspoonkosher salt
½teaspoon black pepper
½teaspoondried thyme
¼teaspooncayenne pepper
⅓cuptomato juice (or 1/4 cup tomato sauce + 1 tablespoon water)
1cupclam juice(or seafood stock)
2cupswater
1plum tomatoseeded and diced (or 1/3 cup chopped canned tomato)
1tablespoonsherryor vermouth
½cupchopped green onion
¼cup chopped parsley
TO SERVE:
steamed white rice
your favorite Louisiana hot saucewe like Crystal's
chopped green onions
chopped parsley
Instructions
FOR THE CRAWFISH ÉTOUFFÉE:
Heat a large skillet with 3-4” high sides over medium-high heat. Add the butter and when it’s nearly melted, add the onion, bell peppers, celery and garlic.
Saute for 3-5 minutes or until the vegetables are tender and the onions and celery are slightly translucent.
Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and cook, stirring constantly for 1-2 minutes, so that there are no dry bits of flour left.
Add the kosher salt, black pepper, thyme and cayenne pepper and cook, stirring for 1-2 minutes longer.
Add the crawfish tails and tomato juice and stir until thick and smooth, so there are no lumps for 3-4 minutes. Be sure to continuously stir the mixture so the tomato juice doesn’t scorch.
Add the clam juice, stirring constantly so there are no lumps and it becomes a smooth, thick sauce.
Stir in the water and tomato; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Just before serving, stir in the chopped green onions and parsley.
TO SERVE:
Fill bowls with crawfish étouffée and top with a scoop of white rice, a sprinkle of green onions and parsley and several dashes of your favorite hot sauce. This is delicious with an Abita or other local Louisiana brew.