Crawfish Etouffe

Monday, August 8, 2022

 

Growing up in Houston, TX right next to the Gulf Coast gave so many opportunities to eat amazing seafood; My dad would get shrimp right off the docks in Kemah on Saturday's.  Crawfish saw a popularity boost sometime in the 80's.When we were kids, we would catch these craw-dads in ditches after heavy rains We didn't eat them, we just played with them.; Times have changed for sure.

Crawfish Etouffe

August 20, 2022
Updated from:  https://www.tinkskitchen.com/2020/01/crawfish-etouffe.html

Yield: 6-8

Prep time:20

Cook time:60

Total time:

Ingredients

• 1 lb. crawfish (found in frozen fish section)
• 1/4 cup avocado oil (or peanut)
• 1/4 cup flour
• 2 Tbs butter, unsalted
• 1 cup onion, diced
• 1 cup celery, diced
• 1 cup bell pepper, diced
• 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 Roma tomatoes, diced
• 3 -4 kumato tomatoes, diced
• 1 cup seafood stock (better than bouillon lobster stock)
• 3 cups chicken broth (better than bouillon)
• 1 tsp crushed red pepper
• 1 Tbs smoked paprika
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1-2 bay leaf
• 1 tsp rosemary
• 1 tsp old bay (optional, I don't like it)
• 1/2 tsp cayenne (optional)
• 2 Tbs tomato paste
• 2 Tbs Worcestershire sauce

For Serving: 

Cooked Hot Rice

1 dash hot sauce for serving

1/4 cup heavy cream

parsley, minced

green onion tops for garnish

 

Instructions

1. Make a roux by adding the flour and oil to a large enameled pot. Keep heat on medium-low and stir constantly until the cooked flour mixture is dark - not as dark as you would for a gumbo, but fairly dark. When you are at the point you need to be, add the butter, stir to melt, being careful of splatter.
2. Add the trinity of onion, bell peppers, and celery and stir. Cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring quite frequently. Add the garlic, spices, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce and bay leaves and stir to combine, cook for about 2 minutes, then add the stocks.
3. Bring the mixture to a slow simmer, add the crawfish, simmer for 20 minutes, then taste for seasoning adjustments. Cook uncovered at a slow bubbling simmer to reduce by about an inch in your pot, this takes about 20 minutes.
4. Just prior to serving, add the heavy cream, stir to combine.
5. Ladle into your bowls, add a measuring cup of rice, garnish with parsley and green onions.

 

 

NOTES:
 

I used kumato tomatoes and Roma's because that's what I had on hand. I like the darker color of the kumato's, I like a darker broth/roux. I would have totally used only kumato' about 1.5 cups total. This measurement is not critical so anything between 1 and 2 cups of tomato would be fine. Actually, most of the ingredient measurements are not critical, so add a bit more or a bit less of any of it, as long as you add SOME of each. Make the recipe your own by catering to your individual likes! This Etouffee will work with shrimp and chicken and sausage, pick your protein. If using chicken, I would use boneless skinless thighs cut into chunks and browned first and set aside while you cook the roux. Roux's are not hard, less than 30 minutes.

All photographs copyright Janet S. Grey

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By Krumpetina