Crawfish Etouffee

Oh my, oh, my. You may have thought you had died and gone to heaven with this dish. It is so very good.

There are hundreds of recipes for etouffee and they are all pretty similar. You may have your own personal twist to add to this basic by delicious recipe.

You really have to try this one.

Be sure to make plenty, because it will go fast.



INGREDIENTS:

• Make a roux. Melt 3 tbsp of butter in a saute pan. Add 3 tbsp flour. Stir and then cook slowly until the mixture has turned a peanut butter color. Turn off and set aside. 
• 1 c of chopped onion.
• 1/2 c each of sweet pepper and celery, diced. 
• 3 roma tomatoes, finely diced
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced.
• 2 tbsp butter
• 3 scallions, minced
• the juice of one lemon
• the meat of about 2 lbs of crawfish, (about a cup and half)
• 1/2 c white wine
• 1/2 tsp each basil, oregano, marjoram, thyme, tarragon
• 2 tbsp hot sauce of your choice
• salt and pepper 
• 2 c seafood stock
• 1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
• 1/3 c chopped parsley

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Melt the butter in a large saute pan. Add the onions, sweet pepper, celery and garlic. Cook until the vegetables are softened. 
2. Add the roux and stir in. 
3. Add the white wine and herbs and then the seafood stock, stirring up the bottom of the pan well as you mix. Add the hot sauce. Simmer until vegetables are well done and the sauce has thickened. Add the tomatoes. Add the worcestershire sauce.  Adjust with additional stock until it is a somewhat thinner gravy than you would normally want.
4. Add the crawfish and if uncooked, simmer for about 5 minutes. If cooked, just stir in the heat through. 
5. Add the lemon juice, chopped parsley and chopped scallions. 
6. Serve over rice. 

SERVES: 3

NOTES: This is your basic etouffee. You can add as you desire, shredded chicken, sausage (andouille is wonderful), shrimp. A firm fish would also work. 

SOURCE: Adapted from Chef JD's Cuisine and Travel