crawfish étouffée.

In French, the word étouffée means smothered, which is derived from the French verb étouffer. It is made with a light roux and is most popular with crawfish or shrimp. Smothering is a popular cooking method in both Cajun and Creole cuisines and is found mostly in the southern part of Louisiana.

• 1 lb of prepackaged crawfish tails
• 1/2 stick unsalted butter
• a clove of garlic minced
• trinity {1/2 cup celery, 1/2 green bell pepper, 1/2 onion diced}
• 1/4 cup roux {prepared or made fresh} for great cajun flavor and seasoning
• 2 tbsp flour
• 1 cup seafood stock/chicken stock
• 2 tsps chopped parsley
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp cajun seasonings
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1 cup of cooked rice

The {Cajun Trinity} is a combination of onion, celery and bell peppers and is the base to many of Louisiana’s recipes. It is also referred to as the holy trinity.

1. in a saute pan on low heat, melt the butter and add the {trinity} along with the seasonings and bay leaf.
2. once the vegetables are translucent and tender, add the garlic and parsley. cook until fragrant and add the flour. stir until totally combined and the flour has coated the vegetables. add the prepared roux and stir again.
3. at this point, add in your crawfish tails and stir to combine.
4. pour in 1/2 cup of your stock and put on low heat to simmer for 20 to 30 minutes. This will ensure that the flavors have a chance to come together. {reserve the remaining stock in case the étouffée becomes to thick.} you may cover it with a lid unless the consistency is runny….if that’s the case, leave it uncovered.
5. make a pot of rice while the étouffée is simmering.  to make rice….i use 1 cup uncooked rice and add 1 3/4 cup of water or stock with 1 tsp of salt and 1 tsp of olive oil or butter. i add all of the ingredients together in a small pot and bring it to a boil.  once the rice has absorbed all of the liquid, i turn the heat off and cover with a lid for 10 min.  perfect rice every time.

**this time, i served the étouffée over a lightly toasted piece of french bread that i drizzled with olive oil and seasoned with a clove of garlic. atop the bread, i had a scoop of rice and then a generous helping of my crawfish étouffée. it was WONDERFUL with my glass of chardonnay and a side salad dressed with a light vinaigrette.

this meal is one of our family faves and it reminds me of my grandmother’s kitchen and my Louisiana heritage. étouffée is made often in my kitchen! This Hand