Crawfish étouffée

Down on the Bayou, étouffée is pretty synonymous with comfort food. You’ll have a hard time waiting to eat this one. Your kitchen will smell so very delicious. Two things to consider are how to get your crawfish tails and what stock you will use. The good news is that you can answer both questions with the same answer . . . boil your own crawfish. If you can stand not to eat all those tails up in the process, you’ll be left with plenty of shells/heads to make your own stock. If you don’t have time to do both steps, enjoy the tail meat and just use chicken broth. Going the extra step will give you enough crawfish stock to bless your kitchen with several attempts at mastering this Cajun delicacy.

4 tablespoons butter or oil
1½ cups (225 g) onions, finely chopped
½ cup (50 g) celery, finely chopped
½ cup (85 g) bell pepper, finely chopped
2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
2 pounds (900 g) crawfish tail meat
½ cup (75 g) almond flour
2 cups (500 mL) crawfish stock, or chicken stock
¼ cup (35 g) garlic, minced
2 tablespoons (30 ml) fresh thyme, chopped
2 teaspoons (10 ml) Worcestershire sauce
½ teaspoon salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon hot sauce
½ cup (12 g) green onion, thinly slices
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
3 cups (700 g) riced cauliflower

1. Melt butter in large skillet or pot. Add onion, celery, bell pepper, and 1 teaspoon (5 ml) of the Cajun seasoning, sauté until onions are translucent.
2. Add the crawfish meat and other teaspoon of Cajun seasoning. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until meat starts to let off liquid.
3. Add the almond flour stirring constantly for another 3 to 5 minutes. Pour in a small amount of the stock and vigorously stir into a paste.
4. Add remaining stock slowly, whisking constantly. Bring to boil and then reduce heat to simmer. Have some extra stock on hand. You may need it to get the consistency just right. Think gravy.
5. Add the garlic, thyme, Worcestershire, salt, and black pepper.
6. Simmer for 20–30 minutes. Mix in the hot sauce and green onions and simmer for 5–10 more minutes.
7. Stir in the lemon juice and adjust seasonings to taste.
8. Serve over the riced cauliflower.

Variation—Shrimp étouffée is also really tasty.

Ingredient Notes—Read the label of your Worcestershire sauce. We use low-sodium Lea & Perrins.

Hint—This is a great, freezer-friendly meal!

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Crawfish etouffee blankets tender crawfish tail meat in a dark almond-flour gravy spiced with Cajun seasoning and fresh thyme. It simmers about thirty minutes while the whole kitchen smells like the bayou. Serve it over riced cauliflower and you will have a hard time waiting to eat.

Pro Tips

• Boil your own crawfish if you can - the shells make the stock that gives this dish its backbone; otherwise use chicken broth.
• Stir the almond flour into the crawfish fat constantly for 3-5 minutes; it needs that browning to taste like real roux.
• Add the stock in stages - a splash worked into a paste first, then the rest whisked in - to keep the gravy smooth.
• Lemon juice goes in at the very end; cooked lemon turns dull and flat.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make this with shrimp?

Yes - shrimp etouffee is the recipe's variation and follows the same method.

How do I know the consistency is right?

Think gravy - the recipe keeps extra stock on hand to adjust it at the end.

Does it freeze well?

Yes, the recipe calls this a great freezer-friendly meal.

Recipe Card

Stav Kogan

Crawfish étouffée

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Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x?

• 4 tbsp butter or oil
• ½ cup (50 g) celery, finely chopped
• ½ cup (85 g) bell pepper, finely chopped
• 2 tsp Cajun seasoning
• 2 lb (900 g) crawfish tail meat
• ½ cup (75 g) almond flour
• 2 cups (500 mL) crawfish stock, or chicken stock
• ¼ cup (35 g) garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
• 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• ½ tsp salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp hot sauce
• ½ cup (12 g) green onion, thinly slices
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 3 cups (700 g) riced cauliflower
• Melt butter in large skillet or pot. Add onion, celery, bell pepper, and 1 teaspoon of the Cajun seasoning, sauté until onions are translucent.

Method

 

1. Add the crawfish meat and other teaspoon of Cajun seasoning.
2. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until meat starts to let off liquid.
3. Add the almond flour stirring constantly for another 3 to 5 minutes.
4. Pour in a small amount of the stock and vigorously stir into a paste.
5. Add remaining stock slowly, whisking constantly.
6. Bring to boil and then reduce heat to simmer. Have some extra stock on hand. You may need it to get the consistency just right. Think gravy.
7. Add the garlic, thyme, Worcestershire, salt, and black pepper.
8. Simmer for 20–30 minutes.
9. Mix in the hot sauce and green onions and simmer for 5–10 more minutes.
10. Stir in the lemon juice and adjust seasonings to taste.
11. Serve over the riced cauliflower.

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