Crawfish Étouffée
A silky Louisiana étouffée of crawfish tails smothered in a blond roux with the Cajun trinity, served over long-grain rice.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 40 min
- Total
- 60 min
- Servings
- 6
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 430 kcal
Equipment
- •Heavy-bottomed Dutch oven
- •Wooden spoon
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 430 kcal
- fat
- 26
- carbs
- 20
- protein
- 28
- calories
- 430
Instructions
- 1
Melt the butter in a heavy Dutch oven over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and stir constantly for 8–10 minutes until the roux (cooked flour paste) turns peanut-butter colored.
- 2
Add the onion, bell pepper, and celery. Stir and cook for 8 minutes until the vegetables soften and sweeten.
- 3
Stir in the garlic, Cajun seasoning, and cayenne. Cook for 1 minute more.
- 4
Pour in the stock a little at a time, stirring until smooth. Simmer uncovered for 15 minutes until the gravy coats a spoon.
- 5
Gently stir in the crawfish tails and any fat from the package. Cook for 2–3 minutes, just until heated through.
- 6
Season with salt and pepper, then stir in the green onion and parsley. Rest off the heat for 5 minutes before spooning over rice.
Chef's tips
Cook the roux only until it reaches the color of peanut butter so it does not overpower the crawfish. Add the crawfish at the very end for just 2–3 minutes so they stay tender.
Storage
Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days, or freeze the étouffée (without rice) for up to 2 months.
Reheating
Reheat gently over low heat with a splash of stock, stirring until just steaming. Do not boil.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Burning the roux, since even a few black specks will make the whole dish bitter.
- •Boiling the crawfish tails, which shrinks them and makes them rubbery.
- •Throwing away the fat from the crawfish package, which adds rich flavor.
Serving suggestions
Cooked Crawfish Étouffée?
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