Crawfish Étouffée
Crawfish étouffée is rich, cozy, and full of Louisiana flavor—tender crawfish simmered in a silky, savory sauce served over warm rice.
Prep Time
25 mins
Difficulty
Normal
Servings
3 - 4 People
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Ingredients
⅓ cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter
1 cup finely diced celery (about 3 stalks)
1 cup finely diced white onion (1 small onion)
1 cup diced bell pepper, any color (1 small pepper)
2 large scallions, green and white parts, with 2 tablespoons reserved for garnish
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups lobster stock, seafood stock, vegetable broth
2 large Creole tomatoes, diced, or 1 cup canned tomatoes
2 teaspoons of blackening seasoning
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 pound cooked, shelled Louisiana crawfish tails
4 cups warm cooked white rice as desired
Hot sauce, optional
Instructions
In a Dutch oven or medium-sized heavy-bottomed pot, whisk the flour and butter together over medium heat to make a light blonde-colored roux. Stir constantly to avoid burning.
Add the celery, white onion, bell pepper, scallions and garlic. Stir to combine and cook for 6–8 minutes or until the vegetables have softened. Turn the heat to low and pour in the seafood stock, vegetable broth or water. Use a small whisk to remove any lumps. The roux should be smooth and slightly thick. Add a little more liquid if needed to thin it out. Add the tomatoes, blackening seasoning and a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper. Stir, cooking for 3–4 minutes.
Add the crawfish tails and gently fold them into the sauce, taking care not to break them up too much. Cook for another 1½ minutes, just enough to heat the crawfish through. Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed.
To serve, add equal portions of white rice to bowls and top with portions of the étouffée. Top with remaining scallions and serve immediately. Add hot sauce as desired.
Chef's Tips
Feel free to add extra crawfish if you prefer a more seafood-forward étouffée—the recipe is wonderfully forgiving and absolutely welcomes a generous hand. Just keep the sauce-to-seafood ratio in mind: you want every bite to feel lush and coated, not dry. If you do increase the crawfish, add a small splash of stock (or a pat of butter) to keep the texture silky and spoonable, especially once it hits the rice.