Crawfish Étouffée

 

Étouffée means "smothered."  The idea of this dish is to "smother" the crawfish with the wonderful sauce.  This is not a long cooked stew and should take you only about 30 minutes to make. 

 

8  Servings

 

1/2    cup vegetable oil

1/2 to 3/4   cup flour

4        tablespoons butter

1        small yellow onion, chopped

2        green onions, greens only, chopped

1        red bell pepper, chopped

2        cloves garlic, chopped

1        16 oz. can diced tomatoes, blended if desired

2        tablespoons celery, chopped

2        tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

1/2    teaspoon dried basil

1        bay leaf

         

3        cups crawfish tail meat from boiled crawfish

1/2 to 1        teaspoon Louisiana-style hot sauce

          salt and freshly ground pepper

         

4        cups cooked long grain rice

1/4    cup green onions, very finely chopped, for garnish

      

     Heat the oil in a large deep skillet over medium-high heat.  Add enough of the flour to make a thick and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture turns medium-brown.  Add the butter, allowing it time to melt and mix in.

     Add the yellow onion and sauté until it's barely brown around the edges.  Add the green onions, bell pepper, and garlic, and cook until tender.  Add the tomato and 2 cups of water.  Bring to a boil, them add the celery, parsley, basil, and bay leaf.  Simmer for 10 minutes.

     Add the crawfish tails, Louisiana hot sauce, and salt and pepper to taste, and simmer for 10-12 minutes.  Serve over rice and sprinkle with the finely chopped green onion.