This last weekend a new family moved in across the back fence. That means it’s time for goodies. Many folks make chocolate chip cookies and other terrific treats to welcome newbies. We make crawfish etouffee. Yep. Now, I’ve learned to ask if the new neighbors like seafood, and specifically crawfish. This time we hit the jackpot. Our new “across the fence” family is from Houston and they love crawfish etouffee. Pretty sure we’re going to be friends. So, I thought I’d share a slightly simplified version of my recipe (can’t quite impart all of my secrets), which I started concocting after moving from the Big Easy, and so terribly craving that deep rich taste. Now y’all can enjoy it, too. Laissez les bon temps rouler!
Crawfish Etouffee
This Creole dish is intended to serve b/w 6-8 people. You can use fresh crawfish tail meat, but since most crawfish that you can get year round is frozen, make sure they are thawed before using.
Cook down the finely chopped vegetables (use a food processor to speed the process), inc. celery, onion, y/r/g peppers, bok choy (optional) and garlic – with two sticks of butter. Make sure that the mixture is soft and rich in color, which may take 20 minutes or more. Slowly add in the cornstarch. Then stir in the tomato sauce and two (2) cups of water.
Add seasonings to taste (typically ¼ to ½ teaspoons of each, but adjust as needed and desired). There are a number of seasonings you should use to get an appropriate South Louisiana taste. Both Creole and Cajun seasoning blends are available, but should be complemented by other seasonings, as well. These include Gumbo filé, red pepper, white pepper, celery salt (or seed) and either sea salt or kosher salt. If necessary, add more butter to taste. Finding the right mix you enjoy may take time, so taste often.
Put in the crawfish tails (you can substitute shrimp or chicken or do as a vegetarian dish). Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down and simmer for 10 minutes or more. The longer the etouffee simmers and is stirred the more the tastes will congeal together. Serve over hot, lightly buttered (and if desired salted) cooked rice. Bon appetit!
Ingredients
2 pounds of fresh or frozen peeled crawfish tails (can substitute peeled and deveined shrimp)
1 lb of butter (or more as desired)
3 cups of finely chopped celery
4 cups of finely chopped onion
1 ½ cup of finely chopped mix of red, yellow and/or green peppers
(opt.) 1-2 cups of finely chopped bok choy stalks (keep the leaves for a side dish)
4 cloves of minced garlic
¼ cup of cornstarch
1 cup (or slightly more) of tomato sauce
lots of seasonings Creole and/or Cajun blends, gumbo file, red pepper, white pepper, celery salt (or seed) and either sea salt or kosher salt
4 cups of cooked rice
