Name: Cajun Crawfish Étouffée
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 7 servings
Cuisine: Cajun/Creole
Ingredients: 4 tablespoons butter or oil; 1 medium onion, diced; 3 stalks celery, diced; 1 green bell pepper, diced; 4 cloves garlic, minced; 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter; 1/2 cup all-purpose flour; 2 cups seafood broth; Cajun seasoning, to taste; Bouillon, to taste; 1 lb crawfish tails; Salt and pepper, to taste; Green onion, for garnish; Hot sauce, for serving; Cooked white rice or grits, for serving

1

Add 4 tablespoons butter or oil to a 12-inch cast iron skillet or dutch oven over medium heat. Once melted, add onion, celery, bell pepper, and garlic and cook for 5 minutes, until translucent. Remove veggies to a bowl.

2

Reduce heat to medium low. Add 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter to the pan. Once melted, add flour and whisk to combine. Cook, whisking continuously, for about 10–15 minutes, or until it turns golden, the color of peanut butter. Be careful not to let it burn.

3

Slowly add the seafood broth, using a whisk to constantly stir until completely smooth. Add veggies back to the sauce, along with seasonings and bouillon. Simmer on low heat for 10 minutes until the consistency of gravy. If needed, add 1–2 tablespoons more flour by ladling out a big spoonful of broth into a cup, stir in the flour until smooth, and return to the pot. Cook until thickened.

4

Add crawfish tails and cook until warmed through. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.

5

Serve over hot cooked white rice or cheesy grits. Garnish with green onion and serve with hot sauce.