Easy Crawfish Etouffee
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
15 mins
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Cook Time
45 mins
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Total Time
1 hr
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Servings
4
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Calories
220 kcal
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Course
Main Course
Easy Crawfish Etouffee
Description
Easy Crawfish Etouffee is made by simmering crawfish tails in a sauce built from butter, sautéed onions, bell peppers, celery, and garlic, thickened with a roux of flour. This cooking base, known as the "holy trinity" in Cajun cuisine, imparts rich flavor and a slightly thick texture. Seasonings like thyme, black pepper, and cayenne provide a gentle heat and herbal note. Tomato juice and clam juice enrich the sauce, adding acidity and seafood depth. After simmering with diced tomato and water, green onions and parsley are stirred in just before serving.
The dish has a smooth, thickened sauce that clings to the tender crawfish tails, offering a blend of savory, mildly spicy, and slightly sweet flavors. It is traditionally served over steamed white rice, which absorbs the flavorful sauce well. Additional garnishes such as chopped green onions, parsley, and hot sauce can be added to tailor the heat and freshness.
This recipe can be doubled easily for gatherings or leftovers. The slow simmering allows flavors to meld and the sauce to thicken properly without scorching, making it manageable for novice cooks to achieve good results.
Ingredients
FOR THE CRAWFISH ÉTOUFÉE:
- 1 pound crawfish tails cooked and shelled
- 5 tablespoons butter unsalted
- ½ onion chopped (about 1/2 cup)
- ½ green bell pepper seeded and chopped
- ½ red bell pepper seeded and chopped, or yellow or orange bell pepper
- 1 talk celery chopped
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced
- 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon thyme dried
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ⅓ cup tomato juice (or 1/4 cup tomato sauce + 1 tablespoon water)
- 1 cup clam juice (or seafood stock)
- 2 cups water
- 1 plum tomato seeded and diced (or 1/3 cup chopped canned tomato)
- 1 tablespoon sherry or vermouth
- ½ cup green onion chopped
- ¼ cup parsley chopped
TO SERVE:
- white rice steamed
- hot sauce we like Crystal's, Louisiana style
- green onion chopped
- parsley chopped
Instructions
FOR THE CRAWFISH ÉTOUFFÉE:
- Heat a large skillet with 3-4” high sides over medium-high heat. Add the butter and when it’s nearly melted, add the onion, bell peppers, celery and garlic.
- Saute for 3-5 minutes or until the vegetables are tender and the onions and celery are slightly translucent.
- Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and cook, stirring constantly for 1-2 minutes, so that there are no dry bits of flour left.
- Add the kosher salt, black pepper, thyme and cayenne pepper and cook, stirring for 1-2 minutes longer.
- Add the crawfish tails and tomato juice and stir until thick and smooth, so there are no lumps for 3-4 minutes. Be sure to continuously stir the mixture so the tomato juice doesn’t scorch.
- Add the clam juice, stirring constantly so there are no lumps and it becomes a smooth, thick sauce.
- Stir in the water and tomato; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Just before serving, stir in the chopped green onions and parsley.
TO SERVE:
- Fill bowls with crawfish étouffée and top with a scoop of white rice, a sprinkle of green onions and parsley and several dashes of your favorite hot sauce. This is delicious with an Abita or other local Louisiana brew.
Notes
- This recipe can be doubled to serve more people without changing the method.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 4Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 220 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 220kcal | 11% |
| Carbohydrates | 20g | 7% |
| Protein | 3g | 6% |
| Fat | 15g | 23% |
| Saturated Fat | 9g | 45% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 1g | 6% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 4g | 20% |
| Trans Fat | 1g | 50% |
| Cholesterol | 38mg | 13% |
| Sodium | 821mg | 34% |
| Potassium | 323mg | 7% |
| Fiber | 2g | 8% |
| Sugar | 5g | 10% |
| Vitamin A | 1810IU | 36% |
| Vitamin C | 48mg | 53% |
| Calcium | 44mg | 4% |
| Iron | 2mg | 11% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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