Crawfish Étouffée

Step 1

Sauté "Holy Trinity" Veggies: Add 3-4 tablespoons butter or oil to a 12’’ 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.

Step 2

Roux: Reduce heat to medium low. Add 8 tablespoons (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.

Step 3

Finish Gravy: Reduce heat to low and slowly add the seafood broth, using a whisk to constantly stir as you pour a slow and steady stream into the pot. Whisk until completely smooth. Add veggies back to the sauce, along with seasonings and bouillon. Simmer on low heat for 10 minutes. You want the consistency of gravy. If needed, add 1 - 2 tablespoons more flour by ladling out a big spoonful of the broth into a cup, stir in the flour until smooth, and return to the pot. Cook until thickened.

Step 4

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

Step 5

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